A Nameless Love
by StarlightWish17
Summary: She doesn’t remember anything about herself. Her name. Her voice. Her face. Not even her family or friends – if she had any. Can Kyouya help piece together her past despite the fact that he is drawn to her? KyoxOC
1. Rain Dance

a/n: This is my first ever fan fiction! Yay~! ^^ So any kind of criticism would be helpful. I hope you all enjoy my story. Sorry if it sucks. =[ I don't have much planned yet but I have a pretty good idea of how things are gonna go. So please review and tell me what you think. If people like this (or if I even like it) then I may continue. Sorry if there are any grammical or spelling errors. I reread it so hopefully I got them all but I may have missed some. Enjoy. :)

**Chapter 1**

**Rain Dance**

She did not remember her name. She did not remember her face. Her voice. Her family. Her very existence.

_Where am I_?

The smell of rain, earth and blood mingled in the air. It caused the girl to cringe and her stomach to churn. And what else was it that she could smell? Something unusual, something strange; she should not be able to smell it outside in the middle of a downpour.

Smoke…?

It was then did realized that she was lying face down into asphalt. Lightning flashed overhead. The rain felt like tiny pebbles. It was cold and icy. She was cold. So, so cold. As if ice had frozen in her veins.

She tried to get up. Tried to push herself up by use of her arms, only to find that she was too weak. Her arms shook from the weight of her own body. Almost instantly she fell back down, a small cry escaping through her lips as she collapsed. Her chin slammed into the ground first. She could taste blood.

Everything ached. Every muscle felt sore, every limb bruised. Her head was pounding; it felt as if someone had just smacked her over the head with a silver mallet and her right ankle felt as though it were on fire. It was twisted into a strange position, throbbing painfully. It must be broken.

Her vision was fuzzy. The raindrops looked like thousands of blurry crystals.

Thunder and lightning clashed in a horrible war. The lightning streaked across the sky in zigzagged patterns, making brilliant, but terrifying, images into the night. The branches looked like claws from above her. The trees themselves, horrifying monsters whose shadows loomed over her from above.

_How did I come to be here?_

_Name. My name. What is… my name?_

_I… do not have… a name…_

_I do not… remember… my name._

And quite suddenly, the girl's world was consumed in black.

~:*:~

"Tamaki, would you please just sit down?" Kyouya snapped. "It's hard enough to type in a moving vehicle; having you dance around the limo does not help matters."

"Aw, but Kyouyyyyaaaaa." Tamaki whined. "It's the perfect opportunity for a rain dance! Just look at all of this amazing rain!"

"Rain dances are generally used to invoke the rain. I doubt that it would make much difference if it's _already raining_."

"Now all we need is some tribal music." Tamaki mused, completely ignoring Kyouya's state of fact. "Hey, driver! Can we take a quick trip to a commoner CD store or something?"

"Ignore him," Kyouya called to the driver, voice calm but also dripping with authority. "May I remind you Tamaki; it is _already_ raining. Storming, in fact. There is no need for a rain dance, and there is especially no need for tribal music in my limo."

Tamaki let out a loud drone out groan. "But whhhy?"

"Because it is uncalled for, that's why. And it ruins my peace and accounting skills." Kyouya said, his glasses reflecting the ghostly glare from his laptop's screen.

"Oh, that's what you're doing?" Tamaki snorted. "You know, we're not in the host club right now. You don't have to keep doing that."

Kyouya flashed Tamaki a glare from behind his glasses. "Oh, really? I beg to differ, especially after you had those elephants shipped all the way from Africa to Ouran, just so you could give the students rides. Not only did we ship _ten_ of these elephants but because of you we also had to hire seven swordsmen for entertainment. Not to mention the 'magic carpet' you wanted to enter with, the expensive cosplay and the Arabian décor. I'll be estimating for a whole week."

Tamaki's violet eyes grew large with tears. He clutched onto his shoulders tightly, whimpering.

"D-Daddy's so sorry to have troubled Mommy so deeply!" Tamaki cried.

Kyouya sighed. "Please, refrain from yelling in my ear."

There was a horrible rumble and a flash of light. For a moment the limo was engulfed in a bright white light, causing Tamaki to not only jump several feet off his seat but also scream ten times louder than before, (into Kyouya's ear no less) and dig his nails into Kyouya's shoulder.

The sound and the illumination had also caught Kyouya off guard, however he did not cry out because of the storm, but rather because of Tamaki. The blonde had screamed so loud that Kyouya was convinced that he was going to lose his hearing in his right ear. Tamki's nails dug harder into his skin. Kyouya let out a small yelp, flinching.

"Would you let go of me?" he seethed.

"But Daddy was scared by the loud scary thunder!" Though Tamaki released him, his face suddenly appeared quite worried. He looked out the window, a small frown appearing between his eyebrows. "Kyouya… do you think Haruhi is alright?"

"Her father should be with her." Kyouya replied in a low grumble, rubbing his hand over his now tender shoulder. "I would see no reason to worry too much."

Tamaki turned back to Kyouya, his eyes full of concern. "Yeah, but what if her dad comes home late? Or… or what if lightning strikes her house and she disintegrates? Or – or what if her apartment gets flooded overnight? Or what if the wind becomes so strong that it breaks through her window and she won't be able to sleep because the rain keeps coming through? OH NO! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!" he wailed, throwing his head into his hands.

Kyouya felt his jaw give a small tweak. "Whatever do you mean? How is the weather _your_ doing?"

"Don't you remember, Kyouya?" Tamaki breathed in a furious growl, turning to him with such intent, that Kyouya actually looked up and locked eyes with him. "Today at the host club… me, Honey, the twins and the swordsmen… we all did a rain dance. WE SUMMONED THE RAIN! IT WAS MY IDEA DO TO DO A RAIN DANCE! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! AAAHHH!"

Kyouya simply stared, expressionless. "Why did you want to do a rain dance in the first place?"

"That doesn't matter," Tamaki said with sudden urgency. "All that matters now is to get this rain to stop!"

Kyouya continued to stare, a look of utmost stupidity falling over his face. "And… how do you plan on doing that?"

"It is simple, isn't it?"

"Uh… no?"

Tamaki locked eyes with Kyouya once more, his blue-violet gaze suddenly frozen with purpose. "We must do another rain dance to stop the rain!"

A small silence fell over the limo. Kyouya's face turned blank while Tamaki's remained determined and sure of his proposal. All that could be heard was the sound of rain pitter patting against the car and the sounds of traffic. Finally, after what seemed to be minutes of silence, (but in reality it had only been a few seconds) Kyouya turned away from Tamaki and readjusted his glasses with his index finger. His glasses had made a slight flash. Then, Kyouya turned away and his fingers flew across the keyboard.

"You truly are an idiot."

_Why is he spending the night at my house again? Why did I invite him? Oh, wait. No. I didn't invite him – he invited himself._

"SO MEAN!" Tamaki sobbed, crawling away from Kyouya. "That's fine then. I'll… I'll do it on my own!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes, trying his best to ignore Tamaki as the blonde suddenly burst into a strange song and danced on one leg inside the limo, attempting to spin in circles while slightly hunched over, as to not hit his head on the low ceiling.

"Oo a ye! E ma ya! OHH A E MA MA YA! E MA YA YAAAA!" Tamaki chanted loudly. "E MA YA! E MA! E MAY! YOOOO YYAAAAA!"

Kyouya ground his teeth. "Tamaki. Shut. Up."

But Tamaki did not seem to be able to hear him. "A SA LA LUS! OOO E MA RI LA! FA RAY E LUS!"

Kyouya sighed heavily. "Do you even know what you're saying?"

"A KUMA! AAA KUMMAAA!"

_I think that he's just making up words…_

"A ZAMA MOOOREE ROOOO MOOOO!"

Right then and there, everything seemed to have happened all at once. Kyouya had gotten to his feet, ready to smack his fist over Tamaki's fat head, when the limo suddenly began to swerve out of control. The two of them were thrown backwards into their seats. Lightning clashed, temporality blinding them. The tires squealed against the asphalt and the piercing screams of Kyouya's driver could be heard as the limo suddenly begun to spin out of control. Kyouya's world was a whirl of the colors. The back of his head slammed into something, hard.

"OH MY GOSH! KYOUYA! WE'RE HYDROOOOPLLLAAAANIINNNNGGGGGG~!"

Kyouya was too stunned to respond. Little white dots did acrobatics in front of his face. He and Tamaki were tossed left and right. He had no clue where his laptop could have gone now; Tamaki's head collided into his own, causing his glasses to fall right off his face. Kyouya felt sick. Heat was starting to gush towards his head…

And then it happened. The limo hit into a tree with such force that it launched the two of them forward. Kyouya's vision flashed red and white. His head crashed into the front seat with such ferocity that it felt as though his brain were rattling inside his very skull.

Then… for a moment… everything was still. Kyouya was too terrified to move. He tried to concentrate on his breathing, his heart hammering. Every inch of him seemed to ache but not as badly as his head. A low moan was heard from beside him and Kyouya realized that it was Tamaki.

"Ta…ma…ki?" He finally managed his words soft and unsure. "Are you alright?"

There was a pause and Kyouya could hear Tamaki moving to a sitting position on the floor. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just hit my head – you?"

"I'm fine," Kyouya said slowly. He carefully pulled his head away from the seat. Even though he was barely moving, nausea rose in the pit of his stomach. He felt dizzy. He tried to remember how many times he had his head.

_Three times_. _The first time must've been the wall of the car. Second time was Tamaki's fat head… third time the seat. This is the last time I ever pick up this moron for a sleep over in the middle of the night. Why did he want to come over in the middle of the night anyway? _

Kyouya felt all around his head. He could already feel a large bump beginning to form and it hurt to just run his fingers across his forehead. His vision was a little hazy and he realized that it was because of the abstinence of his glasses. Kyouya searched the floor with his hands.

"Tamaki, do you see my glass-" Kyouya stopped in mid-sentence, staring in absolute horror at the sight of his now demolished pair of glasses. The frame was completely bent out of shape and the glass prescription for his right eye was totally shattered. The glass still fit for the left, but a long crack ran through the center.

Kyouya growled out a loud cruse.

But that was the least of his problems; his laptop screen was both smashed and sizzling with electric sparks, a warning not to get too close.

Tamaki's face turned pallid when he noticed the laptop, turning slowly to face Kyouya who cursed even louder than before.

"Ito-san," Tamaki suddenly yelled out to Kyouya's driver. "Are you alright?"

There was no response. There was nothing Kyouya could do for his belongings now and so he hoisted himself up onto the seats, pulling back the small black screen to see what had happened.

Though his vision was still unstable, Kyouya could see tell that it wasn't a pleasant sight. The driver's air bag had gone off but it seemed that the driver had somehow knocked himself out anyway. His body was limp, head rolled to one side. Kyouya noticed a decent sized cut on his forehead. The windshield was shattered into large spider web-like patterns and Kyouya could make out the faint, blurry image of the tree they had crashed into.

Thunder rumbled once more and lightning streaked across the sky. The rain came down even harder.

"What happened?" Tamaki asked in a hushed whisper, looking over Kyouya's shoulder at the driver.

"I… I don't know," he said, holding his head. "We should go out… go out and see."

"Yeah…"

Kyouya crossed over the large leather seats, attempting to crawl towards the door. Tamaki followed, appearing quite shaken. When Kyouya opened the door he was greeted by a mouthful of rain and wind. Almost instantly their clothing became soaked, their shirts and pants clinging to them like a second layer of skin.

The whole front of the limo was smashed in. Kyouya stared in absolute disbelief. How had this happened?

"Kyouya!"

Kyouya turned at the sound of his name being called, realizing that Tamaki was no longer beside him. He had to squint through the curtain of rain to find Tamaki's blonde head, slowly walking out towards middle of the road where he saw him. He outstretched his hand, using it has his eyes for the time being.

"Kyouya – did we hit her? I can't tell. There's so much blood. But I – I can't tell!" Tamaki's voice rang in panic, pointing down to the figure at their feet.

Kyouya was shocked to see a girl about their age, sprawled across the road. He couldn't see her face; her head was faced down. But even with his current poor vision, he could see that her hair was light blonde, even lighter than Tamaki's, traveling down her back. She was clothed in a flimsy white dress that came down to her knees, her skin pale against the lightning. The bruises were clearly shown against her ghostly skin. They covered her arms and legs, making Kyouya's stomach twist. Blood was gushing from the top of her head, making a decent sized puddle.

Did they hit her? It was hard to say. It would seem as though they might have – but to have only hit her head? Nothing seemed broken… if they had hit her it would have caused more damage than just a fractured skull.

Kyouya turned to Tamaki, ready to tell him to call for help, only to find that for once he was already ahead of him, punching in the number for an ambulance.

a/n: Sorry if this was too long. But yeah, what do you guys think? Sorry that this was mostly just a post between Kyouya and Tamaki but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway. There will be more chapters between Kyouya and my OC soon enough. ^^ Ugh. I hate blood. T_T It was hard to write about it even though I talked about it so little. I just suck. D: Anyway, please tell me what you think and if I should keep writing it. It would be much appreciated.


	2. Forgotten Memories

a/n: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE! :DD Thank you blackhawk68! You're my very first reviewer! Your review made me so happy! Thanks so much. =] I was smiling for a very long time lol.

~:*:~

**Chapter Two: Forgotten Memories.**

~:*:~

Kyouya and Tamaki shared a hospital room. There were two hospital beds and a curtain that could be drawn between them but they chose to leave it open. Neither of their injuries was serious enough for them to have to stay overnight, and so they both sat on the edges of their beds still garmented in the clothes they had worn during the accident.

Kyouya was given a large ice pack, resting it over the back of his head. Tamaki had several nurses working over him; apparently he had cut his forehead and needed stitches. Before he allowed the nurses to work on him, Tamaki had been screaming, refusing medical attention simply because 'he was far too beautiful to have a scar on his forehead'. But the nurses convinced him that there probably wouldn't be a scar and if there was, it would be too small to tell or his bangs would cover it. Finally, Tamaki reluctantly agreed.

"Any news on the driver?" Tamaki finally asked. "Or the girl?"

"Both of them were rushed to the ER," a nurse told him. "Did your diver hit her?"

"We won't know until he returns from surgery," Kyouya replied. _Though, I didn't feel him hit anything other than the tree_.

The two of them didn't speak again until the nurses left. Tamaki turned to Kyouya, his violet eyes large with concern.

"Do you think that they'll be alright?"

Kyouya didn't say anything at first. He was silent, staring out the window. The pounding of the rain against the glass was starting to drill into his head; he thought that he would soon become immune to the sound.

"It's hard to say." he finally said. "Though my family's hospitals are exquisite, it depends on how severe their injuries are. Whether or not those injuries are curable is out of the staff's hands – even if they are the best."

Tamaki nodded silently.

"Tama-chan! Kyo-chan!"

They turned at the familiar voice, surprised to see Honey-senpai, who was standing in the doorway with a terribly worried expression, clutching Usa-chan to his chest. Mori and the twins stood behind him and Haruhi was standing behind Mori, looking a little bit jumpy. Her eyes kept swerving back and forth around the room and her body was visibly trembling.

"A-are you guys alright?" Haruhi asked her voice in a high pitched squeak.

"Aaah!" Tamaki's face broke into a large grin. His eyes seemed to be filled with stars as he spread out his arms for hug. "My beloved daughter has come to see if Daddy was alright! Daddy's so happy!"

"We were so worried!" Honey suddenly yelled, making a running jump straight into Tamaki's open arms. His eyes filled with large tears. "Usa-chan and I couldn't sit still! Mori was worried too, weren't you Mori?"

"Yeah."

Tamaki had been expecting Haruhi to launch into his arms rather than Honey, so when Honey had hugged him instead, Tamaki's arms were still outstretched, a rather blank expression across his face. When it seemed to click in his mind that Honey had came to him, Tamaki finally smiled and patted the top of Honey's head.

"Don't worry we're fine Honey-senpai." he said with a cheerful smile. "Our injuries weren't that severe. Just some cuts and bumps on the head. Maybe some whiplash but… nothing too bad."

Honey's only response a loud childish howl as the tears suddenly became more frequent, rubbing his eyes. "Tama-chaaannn~!"

"Hey, Kyouya what happened to your glasses?" Karou questioned with a devilish grin. The twins stood on either side of Kyouya's bed, arms and legs crossed in unison.

"Don't tell me you lost them in the crash," Hikaru added his smile identical to his brother's. "Or… that you may have even broken them."

Kyouya felt his eyebrow give an unpleasant twitch. His free hand slowly balled into a tight fist, so tight, that he could feel his finger nails prick into his palm. "Both of you. Get away from me. Now."

"Awww. That's not a very kind thing to say to us." The twins chorused.

"After we came all this way –"

"- just to see you!"

"And now you're telling us to go away!" They yelled together, thrusting their pointer fingers at Kyouya accusingly. "How can you be so cold?"

Kyouya's eyes were thin slits. His face was so angry that chills instantly cascaded down both the twins' spines, their golden eyes widening. A dark and ominous aura filled the room, radiating from Kyouya's figure. His steel eyes shined malevolently as growled out two simple words:

"Go. Away."

The twins seemed too petrified to speak. Slowly, they slunk away from Kyouya's bedside and huddled closer to Tamaki, their faces white in absolute horror of the Shadow King.

"Kyo-chan broke his glasses?" Honey piped from Tamaki's bed.

"Yeah." Mori said, deadpan.

"Oooh, I'm sorry Kyo-chan!" Honey climbed down from Tamaki's bed and crawled up onto Kyouya's, presenting Usa-chan like a peace offering. "You can hold Usa-chan if it'll make you feel better, Kyo-chan!"

Kyouya's jaw clenched tightly. The black aura around him only seemed to increase. Mori came instantly to Honey's rescue, picking him up with absolute ease and lifting him up onto his shoulders.

"Not a good idea, Mitskuni," Mori said.

Haruhi sat on the edge of Tamaki's bed, her brown eyes wide with not only the worry for her senpai's but also for the bad weather. Her eyes kept sliding over towards the window. It hadn't thundered in a while, only raining. But still, it did not keep Haruhi from keeping a careful eye on the storm.

"Are you sure that you're alright, Senapi?" Haruhi inquired softly.

Tamaki turned his head to face Haruhi, a light smile stretching across his angelic features. "I am going to be fine, Haruhi. There's no need to worry. I'm more worried about the driver and that girl."

"Girl?" Haruhi repeated, her face breaking from concern to confusion. "What girl?"

"Ah… well you see…"

~:*:~

She awoke to darkness. She awoke to no friends and no family. She awoke to the sound of her own labored breathing and her vision still clouded from all the drugs. The girl moaned softly, feeling her fingers give a slight twitch.

_Where… where am I?_

She realized with a start that she wasn't cold anymore. In fact, a blanket covered her all the way up to her chest. All was dry, except for her hair. Someone had changed her clothes.

Her entire body felt groggy and her limbs felt like they were filled with led. She tried to move her arm, but realized that she was hooked onto several IV's. Her head still hurt; the pounding of the rain against the walls seemed to penetrate through her skull and into her brain. Fast, sharp, painful sounds crept into the base of her forehead. A migraine…

Dark. It was so dark in here.

What had happened? Where was she? She was in a bed. She never remembered crawling into bed. She remembered the smell of rain, earth and blood. The smell of earth and blood was gone but the scent of rain still pinched her senses. Maybe it was because her hair was still drenched.

The girl blinked rapidly, attempting to clear her vision. The room started to come into focus. There was a small TV hanging on the wall. There was a small wooden door, to which she assumed was a bathroom and then the main door. There were two windows on the opposite side of the doors, so large that it could have practically been the wall. The curtains were pulled wide open.

There was a constant tiny beep from somewhere beside her. Steadily, the girl turned her head towards the sound coming to face a large amount of machinery. It had been hard to turn her head; she realized that she was in a neck brace.

Hospital.

She was in a hospital.

_My head…_

The girl reached up to touch it. She felt bandages.

_Did I… hit my head?_

The girl closed her eyes, trying to remember. An image sparked. There was a door. It was closed and flames were engulfing it. The image was somehow frightening. Fear struck inside of her chest. The fear grew and then shot into her bones. She could feel a scream, deep down in her throat, but she couldn't voice it. The flames were so bright. Smoke. Smoke was filling the room… she couldn't breathe…

"Ah, glad to see you finally awake."

The voice snapped her out of her vision. She was instantly brought back down to reality.

The girl blinked. She lifted up her head towards the voice.

The doctor wore a long white coat that came down only a little bit higher than his ankles, his shirt nicely tucked into his pants. He held a small clipboard and he was wearing a hideous orange tie and a stethoscope around his neck. He seemed to be in his mid forties, brown hair combed back and slightly graying, eyes warm and the color of chocolate.

"You got lucky back there," the doctor said with a chuckle. "It seems that the car just barely missed you. You're even luckier that most people were inside their homes during the storm instead of out driving; then someone might have really hit you."

She just continued to stare at him, her lips slightly parted, face blank.

"I am Dr. Taylor. I helped in the OR. It seems that you were beaten, miss. Beaten severely. Your ankle was broken and you will find that most of your body to be battered and bruised. Your lungs were full of smoke and we had to take care of that as well. We are assuming that you were somehow involved with a fire. You may find it difficult to talk for several days. Your skull was fractured in the back. We had to sew back your skin and you will have to remain in the hospital until your skull is recovered. It's best not to lift your head," he added, causing her to slowly lower her head back into the pillows. "You were found in the middle of the road, almost hit by a limo carrying three passengers. I just came out of the limo driver's room; he just got out of surgery and is fine. He told me that he just barely avoided running over your body and slammed into a tree instead. The other two passengers have suffered minor head injuries and should be alright."

The girl said nothing during this time, only continuing to stare at the doctor. Her eyes were vacant. As he summed up the story she took in little details about the man. Dr. Taylor…? That was not a Japanese name. He must not be fully Japanese. He looks like he's half German or maybe Polish.

"Madam?" The Doctor questioned, snapping her back down to reality. "Do you remember how you became in the middle of the road?"

She stared.

"Blink twice for yes and once for no."

She blinked once.

"Okay. Do you have any family or friends I can contact?"

She blinked once.

The doctor's brows furrowed. "No family? No friends?"

Again, blinked once.

"Alright… then perhaps you can give me your name?" He pressed. "I need to have it on file."

_My name._ She thought, feeling both miserable and lost. _My name… I can't remember. I can't remember my name. I can't remember the faces of my family; my mother and father. My brothers and sisters – if I had any. I can't remember the faces of my friends – if I had them. I can't remember my house… I can't remember if I even _had_ a house… I can't remember what I look like. I don't know who I am._

_Who am I? _

The girl lifted her face up to Dr. Taylor's. Her eyes were empty and clear as glass. Her face held neither warmth nor personality. It held no indication that this girl even had a soul. Her vacant eyes locked into Dr. Taylor's warm brown ones, as she barely breathed a single sentence. Her voice was light but raspy. Her throat burned when she spoke.

"I don't remember."


	3. Best Friends

**Chapter 3**

**Best Friends**

"Any word on Jane Doe?"

"She's been doing nothing but sleeping."

"Isn't that bad when you've had a blow to the head?"

"Yes, but it's been a few days. It was lucky that she even woke up at all. Everyone thought that she would be in a coma when she first arrived."

"Has anyone came to claim her?"

"No one."

"Jeesh. What kind of person must she have been to not have _anyone_ claim her?"

"Maybe she really does have no one…"

"Everyone has someone."

"Not everyone."

Kyouya's face was wiped clean of any sort of emotion. He could hear what the nurses were saying, gossiping about the girl the driver had almost hit. Was she really here by herself? Did no one really come in to claim her yet? It had been nearly three weeks. Kyouya's mind was busy with such questions as he traveled through the hospital halls, hands shoved into his pockets. Hs eyes swept across the numbers of different hospital rooms.

"Four hundred seventeen," Kyouya mumbled. "Four hundred seventeen… four hundred seventeen…"

It only seemed polite that he and Tamaki should visit the driver and the girl. After all, the driver had risked his life and the girl could have lost hers. Tamaki had called and told him he was going to be late because he had some sort of business with his father. Kyouya had just finished his visit with Ito-san, the driver. Ito was healing well; he had suffered a head injury and a few broken ribs. His frontal occipital bones had been broken and fluid had been running into his brain. The doctors had to go into surgery straight away and now he was recovering just fine.

The visit had been short. Kyouya had only spoken with Ito for a few minutes before Ito's family had shown up and he thought it was best to leave them alone.

Kyouya rubbed his eyes, annoyed. He hated contacts. They burned and itched – he wanted nothing more than to just buy a new pair of glasses. He had been able to find the same maker and store; luckily they still created the same pair. Someone was supposed to be sent out to pick them up for him the next morning. Even so, he didn't know how much longer he could stand it.

The bump on the back of his head was now a goose egg, and his neck was still suffering from whiplash. It hurt to turn his head too fast. He was forced to slow things down. There was a bruise on his forehead from when he had hit the front seat and a slight bump as well, but his bangs were easily able to cover it. Tamaki's stupid, fat, blonde head also left a bump on the side of his skull.

Never before had Kyouya felt like such a miserable moron with so many bumps on his head.

"Four hundred seventeen." Kyouya stopped directly in front a wooden door, the numbers placed against the side of the wall in silver lettering. His onyx eyes swept over the doorway for a short moment, hesitating.

He felt extremely awkward coming here by himself. What was he supposed to say? _Oh, hello there. I'm Kyouya Ootori and my driver almost ran you over three weeks ago. Hope you recover soon. Please don't sue. Bye._

Yeah… right.

Kyouya took in a deep breath and then placed his hand on the doorknob. The metal felt cool on his hand, stalling him for a second. He closed his eyes, sighing. He had to be polite. He had to be a gentleman. It was in his breeding. Kyouya couldn't just leave things like this. He would have to apologize. Besides, the girl was probably angry that they had almost hit her. It could be very possible that she wanted to sue his father for such a thing – he did practically own the driver after all. But if he got this girl on his side, then maybe she would forget about suing. Kyouya was very calculating. He was sure he could make her see things his way.

Refusing to think anymore of it, he turned the doorknob and walked inside.

It was twilight inside the room. The door squeaked open. A sliver of light from the hall sliced through the center of the dim place, causing the girl in the hospital bed to blink.

Kyouya stared at her.

She was so pale that she could have practically blended in with the sheets. Her blonde hair was disheveled from lying down. Her right cheekbone was black and blue and her eyes were red and swollen from lack of sleep. Despite this Kyouya did not miss the actual color.

Blue. A very deep shade of blue. Even so, Kyouya could not mistake the pain and suffering behind such beautiful eyes. For three weeks she had been in agony, three weeks tormented by her thoughts. A flicker of hope flashed within those sapphire colored eyes.

"Family?" She inquired, hopeful.

There was a small silence. Kyouya swallowed, not having realized that this girl may have mistaken him as a family member or friend. The doctors had said that she had lost her memories. His presence might only be giving her false hope.

"No… sorry." Kyouya finally replied, cautious.

"Friend then?" she asked, this time her voice slightly lower. Sad even. She knew.

"No."

"I see…"

She looked disappointed. Her eyes turned downcast, a small frown forming on her face and between her eyebrows. Kyouya stared at her calmly, despite his slight anxious feelings. Three weeks without a word from anyone. It would drive him mad, too.

"My name is Kyouya Ootori. I was in the car when my driver almost hit you. I came to apologize for such carelessness. If I may, I would like to repay you for what has happened. If there is anyway in which I can be of assistance, feel free to ask."

The words sounded robotic, scripted even. Kyouya could feel the practiced smirk playing over his lips. His words and smile were phony in every possible way. The words almost felt bitter once they left his mouth and his smirk, almost sour. It was infuriating to pretend like this. But he needed her to trust him.

The girl stared at him with an incomprehensive gaze. It seemed as though she were trying to understand him, her eyes now shining with a hint of curiosity. Then, slowly, she turned away, reaching into her nightgown. Her movements were slow and sluggish. She pulled out a necklace. Still rather slow, the girl unfastened the chain and held it out to him.

Kyouya didn't understand. He stared at the item dangling in her pale, scarred fingers. His eyes slowly lifted from the object and to her face, where he saw a hint of a plea. He sighed, taking the necklace from her.

It was a beautiful silver chain with a sapphire heart for its pendant - or _half_ of a heart to be exact. It seemed that someone else had the other piece. But Kyouya didn't comprehend why she was handing it to him.

As if he had asked the question aloud, the girl pointed to the center of the charm. Kyouya followed her direction, staring at a little Japanese character written in light pink script inside the sapphire.

He felt his eyebrows furrow. What was she getting at? He turned to her, arching an elegant eyebrow.

"Is there something significant about what it says?"

The girl gave him a bashful little smile and shrugged her shoulders high, reminding him of a child. She pointed again, this time more urgent. Kyouya stared back down at the heart and reread the inscription, turning his face back to her and staring at her strangely.

"You can't read it?"

With difficulty from the brace, she shook her head.

"You want to know what it says." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Kyouya knew that she wanted to know what was written; for some reason she couldn't read it. He didn't know if it was because she had never learned or somehow, due to this accident, she had forgotten such a simple thing.

Nevertheless, Kyouya suppressed a sigh. "It says 'best'," he stated, almost sounding bored.

The girl's face alit with confusion. "Best?" she repeated.

"You might have had a friend," Kyouya informed her, watching her expression carefully. "It looks like a best friend's necklace. You seem to have the part that says 'best' and someone else has the half that says 'friend' – see? It's only half a heart – someone else has the other half."

For a moment her face was unfathomable. A look of joy and anger sparked within her eyes. Kyouya thought the same thing she was thinking:

_It's good to hear that she had a friend. But if she had one then why haven't they come for her?_

Kyouya handed the necklace back to her. She took it back gently, seeming to be in a far off trance. Kyouya was at a loss for what to say now. This girl wasn't giving him much to go on.

"Is there anything you would like me or the Ootori family to do for you, miss?" He gave her his best of host club smile.

The girl looked up at him but this time their eyes locked. For a moment all was silent, their eyes completely lost in the others; cool gray mixed with cerulean. When Kyouya looked into her eyes, he saw a pain that mirrored his very own. But what was this pain? Could the wish for his father's approval be somehow related to her need for a family or friendship? Kyouya did not know.

And that infuriated him.

Despite the coolness in his gaze, the girl smiled. Her large eyes were full of spirit as she boldly took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. Kyouya froze. No one in their right mind would have ever done that, whether he was hosting someone or not. Secretly he was a bit stunned by her audacious act, but hid it well behind his mask.

"A friend," she told him. "I'd like a friend."

~:*:~

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

He swayed through the dimly lit room, kicking around old furniture and punching a hole through the wall with his fist. Sweat beaded his forehead and drenched his shirt as angry emotions twisted in his stomach, burning like fire.

"Aah!" He bashed his fist through the wall, ignoring the fresh pain in his knuckles.

He stalked the house like a caged lion, his teeth clenched tightly as he whispered promises of revenge, each word rolling off his tongue.

Disgust curled his lip as he stretched out his arms and pummeled the couch with both fists. He sunk deeper into the couches offered cushions growling out words of bitter distaste.

How could he have been so stupid? Everything was going according to plan. He had been wise enough to find her. He had been able to track her down, even after she had put a restraining order against him. He had been able to get close. He had been able to get into the house.

But that stupid woman and her kids came. And then he panicked.

He who _never_ panics.

He remembered her face clearly.

Her eyes so vibrant, so blue. Those same eyes widening in horror as he plunged the knife into her skin. Her children's screams as they watched the life spill out of her. It had been beautiful but not at all _his_ way of killing. No. He was usually much neater about it. Careful. Calculating. He enjoyed taking his time, enjoyed watching his prey squirm and suffer.

The fact that he had killed that woman wasn't what bothered him. He had slaughtered too many people to care about any of that; it was the attention that it would bring. Cops were sure to arrive at the crime scene. And then what? Be killed? Thrown in jail? No. Killing was an art. Killing was easy for him. So many people had been punished for murder but not him. No. He was going to live out his legacy. He would never get caught. Never.

_Relax…_ He told himself._ If I didn't kill her mother then she would have babbled. It was a good thing I killed her. I'm in control. I won. _

At least after the murder he had been able to find _her_ again. She was coming home from school with her best friend… her friend went home and they went their separate ways. She walked into her house and found her mother's body. Her daddy was angry. Her daddy blamed her and she got so scared that she tore clear out of that house – and straight into him. Into his arms.

But she escaped.

It would not happen again.

She would be his.

She would be his or she would die.

He sat in the darkness. His eyes pierced through all the black.

Thinking…Thinking…Thinking…

~:*:~

a/n: I wasn't sure if I should have rated this M or not because of the talk of killing and all but I decided to keep it rated T. O_o Anyone think that I should change it? Anyway, in the beginning they called her Jane Doe because that's what most hospitals refer to people whose identities are unknown. HER NAME ISN'T REALLY JANE DOE! And I'm sorry if that last part was confusing, about the girl and her friend separating and going home and stuff. I'm still trying to write without using her name. It's proofing difficult. lol.


	4. Pinecone Calamity

a/n: Oh my gosh! Thanks so much for the reviews everyone. =D You've all made me so happy! *cries tears of joy* ^~^ I was so excited to read everyone's reviews that I was actually jumping up and down with happiness! I was smiling for a whole five minutes, haha. I hope that I can keep everyone interested. Thank you all so much. I'm so thankful and happy.

This chapter was hard to write because my sister was in the room with me and talking about how Johnny Depp is so delicious. My creative spirit is dying. :(

**Chapter 4**

**Pinecone Calamity**

A friend?

In any normal circumstance, Kyouya may have thought her request to be an odd one. But since no one had come for her, he supposed that it was understandable. Though he had to wonder how hard she must have been hit. When her memories returned, would she still be so compassionate? Kyouya doubted it.

When she remembered her past, would Kyouya still be drawn into her eyes? That he wasn't sure of. And the thought only increased his irritation.

"I'm sure that could –"

"Friendship? _Friendship_? Why, my fair maiden – we will offer you far more than just _friendship_…"

Kyouya suddenly froze at the sight of a single rose petal billowing in a nonexistent wind. He sighed, annoyed. He recognized that voice and the enticement behind the man's last sentence. More red colored petals began to flutter in from behind him as Kyouya slowly turned, dropping the girl's hand. He lifted his gaze to the flamboyant Tamaki, who was standing in the doorway cupping his chin in a dashing sort of way, eyes lowered in a seductive manner.

Curiosity sparked within the nameless woman's eyes, her gaze traveling from Tamaki to the sway of beautiful rose petals. She seemed to be studying the petals with interest, wondering where they had come from. Swirling petals didn't often appear outside hospital hallways, did they?

A dull expression fell over Kyouya's features as Tamaki sprang into the room. He squished himself between Kyouya and the girl, his violet eyes practically sparkling as he took her delicate hand. He leaned in close, so close, that he was practically a breath away from meeting her lips. However, the girl didn't appear nervous… just a little… confused. It was as if she was trying to decipher a math problem rather than come to terms with Tamaki invading her personal space.

"My poor, poor princess. What have these horrible fiends done to you?" Tamaki cried breathlessly. "Here you are; trapped in a far off tower! Abandoned from the world and civilization as you know it, your neck trapped in this horrendous dog collar. But do not fret. For we are here to save you from your prison. You do not have to be afraid anymore," he continued, tucking back a strand of her hair behind her ear. "For in the Host Club… you will find that the friendship you long for shall transform into a fiery passion. Ah, yes my Nameless Beauty. The burning love you feel shall be our key to saving you from the clutches of the darkness that has kept you here."

Kyouya stood by with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. _A far off tower? How does he just pull this stuff out of completely nowhere?_

A small series of giggles erupted from the girl's throat. She pushed Tamaki away with her hand, continuing to laugh. For some reason the sound made Kyouya's skin tingle.

"Silly," she managed to say through her fit of laughter. "You're silly."

Tamaki blinked. "Silly? My dear princess, I mean nothing but the absolute truth! It may not be today but surely one of us members of the Host Club will carry you away from this tower on a noble white stallion!"

The girl blinked. Then a smile broke across her face, making her pale face lightening up. She seemed to find Tamaki amusing, even though she had no clue who he was.

"Tamaki please just be quiet." Kyouya said. He closed his eyes and then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're starting to give me a headache."

"Daddy's so sorry, Mommy!" Tamaki cried. He threw his arms around Kyouya, who tried shoving him. "Oh, I just realized that you're wearing contacts. Very dashing, Kyouya. Very dashing indeed."

"Daddy? Mommy?" The girl repeated, sounding confused. "You're a girl then?"

Kyouya was so offended that he almost slapped Tamaki to take out his anger on her. "No. I am not a girl. I'm a man."

"Oh. I thought so." She paused, staring at the blankets. Then she brought her eyes back up, blue and fascinating. "Then your both gay?"

Kyouya and Tamaki both froze. They slowly turned their heads to face each other, both appearing quite stricken. A very disturbing image bounced into Kyouya's mind causing him to cringe unpleasantly. _Him_ – _gay_? The third son of the Ootori family? He turned back to face her, angry.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you gay?"

"There is no way in hell that I would ever be gay. And if I was there's no way it would be with Tamaki Souh."

"Kyouyaaaa! That's so hurtful!"

"Shut up."

Just then Tamaki's phone rang. Startled, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. There was a picture of the twins that flashed on the front of it, causing Tamaki to growl 'shady twins' as he flipped open his phone and walked away from Kyouya and the girl.

"Is he your best friend?" she asked.

Kyouya looked at her from the corner of his eye. Then he sighed, massaging the back of his neck. It was still sore. "I suppose," he said after a while. "Though he is quite crazy."

"Mmm…"

Kyouya looked at her once more. She was thinking again. He wondered what was going through her mind.

"Kyouya! We have to go!" Tamaki said, suddenly quite urgent.

Kyouya turned to him. "And why is that?"

"Because; we are going to a parade and we must find away to bring Haruhi with us!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes. Him and these commoner events. "Fine."

"YAAAY!" Tamaki squealed. He turned to the girl, taking her by the hand once again and staring deeply into her eyes. "My darling. Do not fret. We shall meet again."

She appeared a tiny bit disappointed that they were leaving but forced herself to smile. She gave a tiny laugh, causing Kyouya to stiffen, just barely.

"Okay," was all that she said.

_A girl with no name and no friends or family…_

_What kind of person was she?_

~:*:~

"This is absolutely ridiculous."

It was 5:00 in the morning and Kyouya had not gone to sleep. It had been nearly eight weeks now since that girl had been put in the hospital and still no word on any relatives or friends. Kyouya had continued his visits, despite the fact that he didn't understand why he went. He only visited probably once a week and she usually slept when he came. For some reason, she barely spoke when she was awake. Kyouya didn't know if it was because she was shy or if it had something to do with her accident.

And even after all that time. Even after all that time of visiting her for eight weeks and staying up until 5:00 in the morning on a school night, did he learn one thing about her.

Kyouya pushed up his glasses with his pointer finger, reflecting the glare from his newest laptop. With a small sigh, he began to search his database for anyone who might have lived in the general area where they had found her. The area had been near a mere commoner's subdivision.

"Nothing," he said in a low irritated whisper. He felt his eyes narrow at his laptop as if _it_ was the reason why he couldn't find anything. He growled out a sigh, fingers now flying across the keyboard.

He searched for any transferred students from nearby schools. When that didn't work he looked for transfer students to Ouran Academy, finding no one. Though if she had been a student there then Kyouya would have most certainly known from the beginning. She was obviously not fully Japanese. Her blonde hair and blue eyes stood out just like Tamaki's. But had she always lived in Japan or had she just recently came here?

He looked through different student profiles to more schools, seeing if she may have already have been to one of them. Nothing. After thirty different schools he had found absolutely _nothing_.

"Who the hell is this woman?"

Kyouya gripped either side of his head, looking as though he might rip out his hair at any given minute. He shot to a stand, slamming his laptop shut with such ferocity several class files and books fell off the table.

This was not how things were run. Not for Kyouya Ootori. He knew everything about everyone. He knew their past, blood type, sign, favorite food, family secrets; but this was someone he knew absolutely _nothing_ about. It felt as if he was digging a hole and the more he researched, the deeper it became. It was as if this girl didn't even exist!

"Damn that storm! Damn that blasted road we found her on! Damn my sleepless nights!" His hand clutched into a fist, flames erupting all around him. "DAMN THAT BLASTED AMNESIA!"

"Kyouya!"

"Eh?" Kyouya quickly turned, surprised to see his older sister, Fuyumi Ootori, standing in his doorway with her hands on her hips. She was in her pajamas and staring at him.

"Kyouya it is 5:00 in the morning," she exclaimed. "Why are you still up? And why are you screaming – you're going to wake up the whole house! Can you imagine what father would to do you if he woke up?"

"Sorry," Kyouya hissed through clenched teeth. He whirled back around, fuming. "I'm going to bed."

_Right after I kill something, _he added in thought.

"What the – wait! Kyouya," Fuyumi cried out in a hushed exasperated tone, quickly grabbing him by his wrist and turning him around so that he may face her, concern now etched between her eyebrows. "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

Kyouya felt his jaw give a slight tweak. "I'm not angry," he lied. "I'm just tired."

Fuyumi sent him a suspicious glare. "Don't lie to me. I haven't seen you this upset since you first met Tamaki." She paused. "Did he do something?"

"No. This isn't about Tamaki." He said, still angry. "It's about that blasted woman!"

Fuyumi's eyes suddenly became alit with interest. A dark smile danced over her feminine features, folding her arms across her chest. Her suspicious gaze only seemed to have become ten times more suspicious.

"A woman, eh?" she teased, tapping her chin in thought. "What _woman_ are you talking about?"

Kyouya could see where she was getting at. His twisted scowl instantly fell. His silver eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "It's not like that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Kyouya said. "It's that same girl that Ito-san almost hit the night of that storm. She's been in the hospital for eight weeks, healing. The hospital staff can't find her identity and no one has came in to claim her. She was hit in the head and fractured her skull; she has amnesia. She can't remember anything about herself so I was trying to see if I could find her in our database but I couldn't find anything."

A small smile fluttered over Fuyumi's face. She gave a slight laugh as she reached out and ruffled the top of his head affectionately. Kyouya gave a minor growl, attempting to get out from underneath his elder sister's clutches.

"Fuyumi, stop that!"

"I'm sorry, Kyouya," Fuyumi laughed. "It's just been a while since I've seen you this animated about something. If it's that much of a hassle trying to find her identify her then just leave it alone. Someone will probably claim her in time or else she'll finally remember. There's no need to stress yourself out over someone you don't even know."

Kyouya sighed heavily, turning his eyes to something on the floor. His face was deep in thought.

_She is right. There's no need to put so much pressure on myself over this_._ I went once out of common courtesy – I should have left it at that. But can I really leave this alone? _

Fuyumi smirked. "Of course, if this is really bothering you then it might be a good way to keep you occupied for a while. And who knows. Maybe you could help her."

Kyouya was silent, lifting his eyes to his sister's, lips pressed together tightly.

_Now that I'm interested, can I just shove this aside?_

_No… no I can't._

~:*:~

_The Next Day Ouran High School: Gym Class._

"KYOUYA! IT'S COMING YOUR WAY!"

Kyouya turned his sleepless gaze towards the shouting, only to see a soccer ball flying in his direction. Appearing to be quite dead, he just barely moved a little bit to the right allowing the ball to fly over his shoulder. His jet black hair danced with the movements of the furious soccer ball, rubbing his eyes rather lazily.

"GOAL!" The Renge shouted from the commentator's podium. "Aaaawww. Man. Ootori Kyouya just let that slip right passed him. It's now 5 to 10!"

"Kyouya!" Tamaki ran up to the goalie net. "What are you doing? I thought that I would have taught Mommy better! Don't you see? WE CAN'T LET THOSE TWO SHADY TWINS WIN!" He shoved his finger in the direction of Hikaru and Karou, who were giving each other a high five."If they win then I'll never know what Haruhi's dream house is!"

Haruhi was standing nearby, deadpan. "I don't even _have_ an idea for a dream house," she grumbled under her breath. "The only thing that it would include is probably some fancy tuna…"

"I could care less about these ludicrous games. They're completely absurd." Kyouya said with a large yawn. "Besides; we have Mori-senpai on our team. We'll be fine." He leaned against the goal post, looking completely drained. "In any case, I see no profits in this for myself or the club."

"But – BUT THEY HAVE HONEY-SENPAI!" Tamaki screeched, thrusting his finger towards Honey who was making his way towards the center of the field, skipping merrily with flowers bouncing around his face. "Mori-senpai would never go against him. Don't you want to know how Haruhi envisions her future?"

"No."

"YOU'RE COMPLETELY HEARTLESS!"

"No, I just don't care."

It was the middle of gym class. Normally, it would be just the second years that played but today was a joint class. It was the first years against the second and the third years were scattered among both sides.

The soccer field was vast, cut and luscious with the boundaries and lines painted in white. An enormous commentator's box hung overhead of the bleachers with Renge screaming inside it. Ouran was an elite school, so of course, it would offer only the best which included commentary during gym class games. Many of the girl's came to watch 'the game', their eyes filled with admiration. Though, they may have been more excited about the host club in sporty attire rather than the actual sporting event.

"And so – Kassanoda meets Honey-senpai at the center mark. Their staring each other down – waiting – both feet are up – AND THE BALL GOES FLYING PASSED KASSANDOA AND STRAIGHT INTO THE CLUTCHES OF ONE OF THE HITACHIIN TWINS! He passes to Karou – or Hikaru – I can't tell! Blah! It's coming closer to the goal – closer! Passes to Haruhi – back to one of the twins – Tamaki fails to steal the ball –"

_Tired. So. Tired._ Kyouya stared ahead at the scene, body slouched. _I've reached my limit. I can't go on any longer._

"Kyouya! Save the ball!" Tamaki cried out in desperation.

"You save it. I'm going to bed."

"What?"

"I'll sleep here. Wake me when it's over."

And with that Kyouya fell onto the grass right in the middle of the goal, folding his arms by his head to use as a pillow. He fell asleep almost instantly, a peaceful expression falling over his face as he slept soundly in the grass.

"HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT A TIME LIKE THIS?" Tamaki yelled. He turned his head in the direction of Hikaru who was gaining speed towards the goal. Attempting to appear determined, Tamaki ran out into the field once more in attempt to steal the ball away.

But something happened when Tamaki went to kick the ball away from Hikaru. For one thing, his foot slipped over something other than a soccer ball and twisted all the way to one side. There was a definite 'snap' that broke through all the noise. Tamaki fell backwards, yelping in pain. The audience gasped.

"OW! OW! OW! OOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" he wailed, clutching his foot.

"AND HIKARU SCORES!"

"Yay~!" Honey cheered, throwing his hands up in the air. "We're winning! We're winning!"

"Yeah! Alright!" Karou laughed giving his twin another high five.

"Don't any of you care about the agony your King is in?" Tamaki roared.

"What happened boss?" Karou asked, standing over him.

"It looks like your broke your ankle." Hikaru said, using his brother's shoulder as an arm rest. "That sucks."

"How did that happen?" Honey inquired, his large coffee-colored eyes large in worry.

"Ah… I think this explains it." Haruhi stated. She was beside Tamaki on the ground and slightly bent over with her knees tucked into her chest, pointing to a small pinecone that had somehow gotten onto the field. "Looks like you tripped over that."

There was a small silence. All the host club members were staring down at the pinecone in absolute shock. And then, suddenly, the twins burst out in laugher, clutching their sides.

"He – he broke it –"

"By – by – tripping over a pinecone?"

"It's too much!"

"Stop laughing you guys!" Haruhi scolded. "Tamaki-senpai's really hurt! We have to get him to a hospital!"

"Right… right… right. Game's over people! Nothing to see here! Everyone evacuate the field!"

"What? No! No, I don't want to go to a hospital! Just take me to the nurse!" Tamaki cried out frantically. "Can you imagine? A poor prince being dragged off into a hospital on a stretcher? The humility can't be any worse!"

"Don't worry," Karou began with an evil grin.

"We'll make sure that you only receive the highest of respect, my dear King."

Tamaki blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Let's go!" The twins said in unison. Hikaru grabbed the King by his arms and Karou took careful consideration upon holding him up by his legs. "Let's move out!"

"What? Hey! Put me down! Put me down this instant! You shady twins are planning something far worse by carrying me like this!"

"Mori, will you go get Kyouya?" Hikaru asked, completely ignoring Tamaki. "He'll be mad when he finds that we left him here surrounded by fangirls."

"Yeah."

It was true; Kyouya was still asleep and a thousand fan girls who normally came to visit the host club were all fawning over him, squealing and blushing.

"He's so cute!"

"I've never seen him so peaceful," another cooed.

"Awwww!"

"Excuse me," Mori stated in his low dark voice. The girls all turned to face Mori, blushing at the sight of him breaking through the crowd. He didn't even glance at any of the girls as he easily scooped up Kyouya with one arm, and then threw him over his shoulder. Then he walked away, face wiped clean of all emotion as Kyouya dangled over his shoulder, still in a deep sleep.

"AAAAAAAAHH! SO CUTE!" the girls squealed.

"AND EVERYONE SATARES AS WE WATCH THE PASSION STIR BETWEEN KYOUYA AND MORI!" Renge shouted inside her box. "LOOK AS HE CARRIES KYOUYA AWAY LIKE A BLUSHING BRIDE! AAAAAAAAHHH! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!"

Haruhi sighed, annoyed.

"Why is everything yaoi with that girl? And who would carry their bride like _that_?"

~:*:~

a/n: That's actually how I met my best friend. She tripped over a pinecone and broke her ankle in a soccer game at school. Now everyone always make fun of her. I could only see someone like Tamaki doing the same thing. xD

And Kyouya's glasses are back because I think I said in my last chapter that he was gonna get them the next day and it's been eight weeks, so he would have gotten them by now. Sorry for all the time jumps, I'm trying to make the healing process be realistic and I have little patience! I think someone said it took eight weeks to probably heal from something like that but I don't know for sure.

I plan on adding the chapter tonight, if all goes well. Thanks again for reading and all the reviews. ^_^ I hoped you all liked this, sorry if it was lame. I tried!


	5. A Trip to the Garden

a/n: Thanks again for the reviews everyone!! ^___^ You all make me so happy. =D

And I would like to inform all of you that at this very moment as I type out this next chapter, that I am eating bread sticks from Olive Garden. ^~^ It's so delicious~! And I'm sorry that I didn't update last night. I was planning on it but now I have a sore throat. ;___; Succcckkss. Plus I didn't know until the last minute that I had to get up early the next morning for my math class and the chapter was starting to get long so I had to get to bed. =[ Please don't hate me! I still love you all. Lol. ^^

I apologize that this is so long. =_=

~:*:~

**Chapter Five: A Trip to the Garden**

~:*:~

She felt as if she was crawling out of her skin. She had to get out of her room.

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly over head, smiling down upon her. She was sure that no one would be in the garden. She didn't know if she could stand hearing anymore whispers of pitying gossip.

She was still in her pajamas. She had grown very well accustomed to one of the nurses and had eventually became good friends with her, despite that neither of them knew her own name. The nurse's name was Yua Sasaski. She was a kind woman, with dark hair always pulled back and brown eyes. Sasaki-san was even kind enough to let her borrow some of her pajamas and clothes. She mostly wore the pajamas though, seeing as they were the comfiest.

The Nameless wore purple pajamas with an arrangement of colorful smiling cupcakes all over them. She wasn't wearing any shoes, feeling the cool cement from underneath her feet. She liked the feeling of it. It was the nice.

A slight breeze ruffled the trees. It was such a beautiful garden. It had a beautiful curving walkway with little benches for people to sit in and a gorgeous water fountain in the middle. There was an array of small trees and cherry blossoms throughout the garden and thousands of different flowers. She hugged her arms around her waist, glancing at the beautiful scenery. This place was like a small piece of heaven, a piece that she had longed for since her coming to this place. The last time she had been outside is when she had been found.

The Nameless wrapped her arms around her thin frame, examining each of the flowers. They were so lovely. She bent over to smell the delicate roses, and inhaled the scent of honeysuckle and cherry blossoms. It was so nice to smell something other than a hospital room. For the longest time, the scent of rain and blood was the only thing she could remember. This place was so refreshing.

She touched the fragile petals of the lilies and tulips. The colorful pansies danced in the wind and the bushes were full with heavy bunches of lilacs. Lastly, the girl came to the bluebells, bending down to look at them more carefully. They were such an unusual breed of flower and yet so divine. The girl smiled, stroking one of the bluebells with the pads of her fingertips. It was so soft. The color was beautiful but a bit lighter than her eyes. She found them fascinating for some strange reason.

She was so excited to see everything and took everything in as if she could never get enough of it. It was as if she was looking at the flowers for the very first time and in a way, she was. She had no memory of her past; just shadows. She remembered how to talk and to walk but she had forgotten the meaning to some of the words. She was gradually picking herself up, gradually learning and understanding what certain things meant and how certain things were done.

The Unnamed came to a stand, slowly walking over to a bench. She was fiddling with the charm around her neck, the sun bouncing off its dazzling image. She sat down on the fountain's edge with a small 'plop'. She could hear the sounds of rushing and dripping water from behind her.

"A best friend," she whispered to herself. Her eyes suddenly seemed vacant. "Are you really out there?"

If she had a best friend why didn't they come for her? Did they really not care about her? They most certainly must not have been that close if this person wasn't even coming to get her or even visit. Maybe they had gotten into a fight before her accident and didn't care to come see her. Or what if something had happened? Could they be hurt? Or what if they didn't even realize that she was gone?

That boy, Kyouya Ootori and Tamaki Souh were best friends. They were completely opposite people, or so it seemed. Was she and her friend completely opposite as well? Despite their differences and despite the way Kyouya kept shutting Tamaki down, they seemed close. If they weren't then Kyouya probably wouldn't be able to so openly show his emotions in front of Tamaki.

Was she and her friend completely opposite? Or were they similar?

She had no idea.

And her family, did she even have one? She had to have had a mother and a father. Without them then she wouldn't exist. So where were they? Were they dead? Were they cold, heartless people who didn't even care that their child was missing?

Were they still together? Were they divorced? Was one alive and the other dead?

She knew absolutely nothing about them.

"Put me down this instant!"

"Heeeeyyyy. This doesn't seem like the hospital entrance. Karou, you're leading us in the completely wrong direction!"

"I went this way because there was a parking lot."

"There are parking lots everywhere you moron!"

"Stop it! Just put me down!" Tamaki growled.

"Hey, don't call me a moron Hikaru! It's not my fault that I just don't happen to know my way around a hospital!"

"Awwww guys don't fight!" Honey whined loudly from behind them. "If you guys stop fighting then I'll share with you some of my cake. But only some of it because it's a small cake. And you guys can't have the strawberry either because I like strawberries… well I guess you can have a _quarter_ of the strawberry…"

The girl came to a stand appearing quite confused. She recognized Tamaki's voice but not the others. Her curiosity spiking, she began to follow the voices.

"If you guys would have just shut up and read the signs then we wouldn't be in this mess." Haruhi said rather irritably. "The emergency entrance was on the complete _other side_. You guys just don't listen."

"But this isn't really an emergency," Hikaru said with a shrug.

"Yeah, it's not like the boss is about to die or anything." Karou chimed in.

"It's still an emergency!" Haruhi exclaimed angrily.

"You two stop it!" Tamaki snapped. "You're making my dear little girl very upset. I hate to see my precious daughter angry."

The twins rolled their eyes in unity. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

She met them on the other side of the garden in front a cherry blossom tree. The Nameless woman stared at the group inquisitively, tilting her head to one side as if she didn't understand what was going on. She was halfway poking out from behind her own cherry blossom tree wondering if she should interfere or not.

Indeed, it had been Tamaki but he was being held up by two twin boys, swaying him carelessly between them as if he were a hammock. A very short boy was beside them, holding a stuffed rabbit and glancing up at the rest of the group with large brown eyes. Standing beside him was a very feminine looking boy with dark brown hair and with eyes the color of hot chocolate, appearing quite annoyed with the two redheaded twins. Standing next to the shortest of the group was a very tall man with black spiky hair and a face that held no expression.

Over the tall man's shoulder was, to here completely surprise, Kyouya. She couldn't tell if he was knocked out or if he was just sleeping. However he seemed to look a bit too serene to have been knocked out but it could have been a possibility. (It seemed like something that this group of people might do just to get him to go somewhere.)

"Why don't we just retrace our steps?" Karou suggest.

"That could take forever." Hikaru said.

"Fine then. Why don't we just wake up Kyouya-senpai? It's his family's hospital isn't it?" Karou proposed, glancing towards the sleeping Kyouya.

"NO!" Tamaki cried out, floundering helplessly in the twins clutches. "Don't you people remember? Kyouya is a hypotensive evil lord! We can't wake him like this!"

The twins turned to look at Kyouya, shivering at the thought of disturbing his slumber.

"Um. Excuse me?"

Everyone blinked. They stopped what they were doing and turned to face the Unnamed, finally noticing her. She slowly stepped out, revealing herself.

"Are you… lost?" She inquired. Lost. That seemed to be the right word right? Isn't that what the nurses called her? Lost?? "Maybe… maybe I can help?"

"Ah! My dazzling princess! I am glad to see that these evil captors have finally taken that horrendous dog collar off your pretty throat." Tamaki said, sparkling even from a distance.

"A dog collar?" Haruhi repeated, confused.

The girl didn't know if she should be concerned that he had called her neck 'pretty'. Besides, the finger markings around her neck were just starting to heal. But she smiled nonetheless, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. "I can try to help you if you'd like."

The twins stared at her for several short minutes. Then an evil grin crawled over both of their faces the exact same time, a wicked sort of light appearing in both of their golden eyes. The two of them dropped Tamaki like a rock who then screamed out and then yelled at the two of them for dropping him. The two suddenly appeared on either side of her, staring down at her, obviously interested.

"Well, well. What do we have here, Hikaru?"

"Why Karou – I think we've found a sweet little girl." Karou said with a smirk. The twins both leaned in closer. They each tilted her chin up by use of their fingers, forcing her to stare up into their ocher eyes.

"Tell us how long have you been staring?" Hikaru inquired in a low husky whisper.

"Come now, no need to be shy." Karou said with a slight grin.

The girl blinked, staring at the twins with a dumbfounded expression on her face. She felt her eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. "Uh. What?"

"Stop that you two creatures of darkness!" Tamaki shouted from the floor. "That is no way to treat a beautiful princess! Quick – Mori – take me to the princess!"

"Ah." Mori – who was already holding Kyouya walked to a bench where he placed him back down and then walked over to Tamaki, lifting him up easily and bringing him towards the girl.

"Ah, my Princess. How I have longed to see you again." Tamaki whispered. He shoved the twins aside by kicking them with his good foot and then took hold of her hand, staring into her eyes. His blue eyes softened with a tint of allurement, smiling in a way that would have made any woman swoon. "Have they been treating you well, Princess? You look as radiant as ever."

Haruhi stared completely straight-faced. "Why is it that they always have to fawn over every girl they see?" She grumbled. But then something seemed to have registered and she looked at the girl more closely, squinting slightly.

"Wait a second. _Again_?" She paused. "Wait… you couldn't be that girl that Kyouya and Tamaki-senpai almost hit that one night could you?"

The girl turned to Haruhi. She seemed to have caught on rather quickly. "Oh. Um. Yes, actually."

"What?!" The twins chorused.

"No way!" Karou cried, now pointing at the girl dramatically.

"You're the girl?" Hikaru inquired loudly. "The girl that Kyouya-senpai knows absolutely nothing about?!"

"Uhhh….?" The Unnamed gave the two of them a strange look. "I… guess?"

"I never thought that I would meet someone –"

"– that Kyouya would fail to recognize! Aaah~!"

"HEY! She has cupcakes on her pajamas! Awww! So cute!" Honey randomly cheered, running up to the girl with absolute joy. He threw his arms around her waist but was careful not to drop Usa-chan. Honey smiled widely, looking up at the girl cutely. "Do you like sweets? Huh? Do you? I love sweets. Maybe we can share a cake someday! Well – actually – now looking at your pajamas, I really want cupcakes. Awww." Honey broke away, appearing slightly sad. "Now I really want a cupcake."

The girl stared down at Honey, completely flabbergasted. _Why is such a little boy in the midst of all these older people? _She wondered.

"Oh, um don't worry. There's probably some cupcakes in the hospitals cafeteria or something." The girl said nervously, ruffling the back of her head. She didn't like to see the boy so upset over a cupcake.

"Really? Yay!" Honey cheered, throwing his hands up in the air in joy. "Let's go to the cafeteria right now!" He grabbed onto the Nameless girls wrist and began pulling her towards some random direction in the garden. The girl could not help but look and feel thoroughly confused. Everything was happening so fast.

"Yeah." Mori replied.

"Sure let's go. I'm a bit hungry." The twins said together. They began to follow Honey, who in truth had no idea where he was going.

"Um. I think you've all forgotten something," Haruhi stated blandly. "Tamaki. Ankle. Kyouya – sleeping? Ring any bells?"

"Aaaah. Yeah." Hikaru and Karou said together. "We forgot about them."

"HOW DARE YOU FORGET ABOUT ME!" Tamaki roared. "I'm your King! KING!"

"Awww~! I'm sorry Tama-chan!" Honey wailed, stopping in his tracks so quickly that the girl bumped into him. Honey was really short compared to her so she actually almost tripped. Tears began to fill the younger-looking boy's eyes. "I just wanted a snack!"

Haruhi sighed. "_If they had just read the sign_," she was grumbling to herself.

The Unidentified stared at Haruhi more closely.

_He has such feminine features. _She thought. _And his eyes are so big… almost like a girl's. He even seems sort of sisterly rather than brotherly with these boys_. _But maybe it's just me_. _What do I know about the world anyway? I barely remember anything._

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Haruhi asked innocently.

The girl mentally slapped herself. Dang it. She must have been staring at him for too long.

"No, it's nothing. Sorry." She said with a small smile.

The twins suddenly appeared in front of her again, both holding an identical expression of curiosity. They both rubbed their chins in thought, amber eyes inquisitive.

"So then," Karou started. "What are you to Kyouya-senpai?"

The girl blinked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Weeeellllll…" Hiakru said. "He's been visiting you for eight weeks. That's unusual."

"Are you secretly dating him or something?"

All of a sudden the girl's face felt incredibly hot. Blood rose into her cheeks, shocked by such an accession. Dating. She didn't really even understand the term but for some reason it made her react strangely. Deep down, in the back of her mind, she must've known what it meant otherwise she would not have reacted that way. She stared, uncomprehending but also flustered.

A strange image flashed before her eyes. A color. Teal.

Her eyebrows furrowed. What could that possibly mean?

Her eyes veered towards Kyouya for a brief moment. How did he manage to look so elegant even in sleep? His lips were slightly parted, glasses slightly ajar over his face and sunlight bouncing off his dark hair. She felt an odd squeeze in the pit of her stomach.

Deciding to ignore the feeling she turned back to the twins, looking unsure.

"I'm not entirely sure what that means. But I get the feeling that the answer is no." The girl said slowly.

Teal. Teal. What did that mean?

"What? Oh, c'mon. You're withholding precious information about our Demon Lord!" Hikaru said.

_Demon Lord_?

"Don't act like you have nothing to do with it." Karou chided in.

"Uh…"

"Would you two just stop it?" Tamaki practically screeched. He was standing now but using Mori as a crutch, his vibrant blue eyes large and appalled. "She's just a sweet little girl! Don't you people have any consideration for amnesia? She obviously has no idea what you're talking about – and don't you dare tarnish her precious innocent mind with your dirty thoughts!"

"Dirty?" The twins screamed together. "The only dirty one here is you! Closet pervert!"

"I AM NOT A PERVERT! THAT WAS A HUGE MISUNDERSTANDING!"

"Whatever. Let's just go." Haruhi griped. She walked over towards the Nameless her irritated face suddenly becoming much brighter, cheerful even. "Sorry about all this. They're just a bunch of weirdo's. They really don't mean any harm."

"Yeah! Honey and Takashi would never think of harming Burondo-chan! Would we Takashi?" Honey said staring up at Mori-senpai with adorable large eyes. He was still holding onto her wrist like a four year old child.

"Never." Mori stated.

The Nameless felt her right eye give a small twitch, staring down at Honey-senpai. Her face was twisted with a mixture of perplexity and slight annoyance, the boy's nickname for her repeating itself in her head.

_Burondo-chan? What?? Doesn't that mean blonde or something?_

"Let's just go." Haruhi said, ignoring the sounds of the twins and Tamaki arguing back and forth. The brunette smiled warmly at the blue-eyed girl. "By the way my name is Haruhi Fujioka." She extended her hand for her to take. "You already know Tamaki and Kyouya." A look in her eyes suggested that she felt sorry for her, for knowing them. "And the twins are Hikaru and Karou –"

"AND I'M MITSUKNI HANINOZUKA!" Honey suddenly butted in-between them, jumping up and down in the air as if they wouldn't see him if he didn't. "But you can just call me Honey and this is my bestest cousin in the whole wide world, Takashi!" Honey shouted, gesturing towards Mori who simply said: "Ah."

"We just call him Mori for short." Haruhi said from behind Honey, appearing as though this entire day was rubbing her nerves the wrong way. But when she looked back up at the girl she smiled. "We would appreciate it if you pointed us in the right direction.

She smiled back in return. "I'd love too."

~:*:~

Yes, she had to die. She had seen far too much. She had seen what he might be capable of – what he _was_ capable of. But not yet.

He liked to do things slow. Let her suffer. Let her beg for death. Let her feel the sweet torture throughout her entire body.

The man brought a knife up to the light, examining its sharp edges. Dried blood still clung to its edges, making him grin. He closed his eyes and remembered the woman once again. Remembering how delicious it had been to watch the life leave her eyes. It was a satisfaction that only lifeblood could give him.

However, the clock was ticking. How long would it take until _she_ remembered him again?

Order was everything. He couldn't go out of order.

"HELP! Someone help me!"

_Ah. She is finally awake._

The man ignored the sound. He fiddled with the knife in his hands, stabbing it into the wooden table and pulling up little pieces of wood with its tip. The girl continued to scream.

"Help! Someone! Please!"

He continued to try to disregard her. He closed his eyes, trying to think over his strategy, willing her voice to stop. But then her voice only grew louder, causing his head to start pounding.

He cursed, coming to a stand. She had always been such an annoying girl. He made his way through a dark narrow hallway. The house itself was small, decaying walls and holes in them from all the times he had been angry. Mold was probably growing behind them for all he knew. The floorboards screeched from underneath his every step. The only light was a small light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It made the house only look more eerie.

He came to a stop at a large wooden door and twisted the cool silver knob to one side, stepping into the darkness of his basement. It was easy for him to navigate through this darkness. He had grown familiar with the darkness, lived in it. How many times had his own father kept him down here?

The woman's pleas and shrieks of help only grew more prominent as he traveled down the stairs. When the woman came into his sights he felt his lips rise into a lopsided grin, showing a perfect dual of white teeth. The woman realized who he was almost instantly. Her eyes grew so wide that he could practically see the whites from all around them.

"Get away from me!" She demanded.

"Now, now. Isn't that a little harsh?" He inquired mockingly, leaning his body into the side of the wall. "And after all I did to save your best friend. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

The girl's eyes narrowed. She tried to stand but she was being held down by chains, chains stuck into his wall. It was rather medieval, but it got the job done. Her wrists and ankles were clasped in shackles. He didn't really like to use them often; again, he was a man of planning. It went against his plan. His order.

But Mea was not in his order.

And Mea was ruining everything.

But unfortunately… he needed Mea.

"What have you done to her?" Mea growled. The chains shook violently as she tried to tear them out of the wall, a pitiful attempt in his eyes. Every muscle in her body seemed to be strained. He could tell that she wanted to kill him. Kill him with her own bare hands. The thought was almost amusing.

"Done to her? _Done_ to her?" He repeated before throwing his head back, erupting in laughter deep from within him. His laugh was cold. Icy. It reverberated throughout the entire house and caused goose bumps to rise on Mea's arms and shoulders. "My dear, sweet, sweet Mea. I have done nothing to your little friend. You see – that's the problem."

Mea's eyes turned into thin slits. She was both furious and afraid, trying not to show her fear. "You're sick." She growled.

"I prefer to call myself a prodigy, my dear. Not many people can do the things I do. It takes perfection. Calculation to the tiniest detail. It takes a genius, like me."

"Well when they find you I hope they rip you apart." Mea hissed through clenched teeth.

"That isn't going to happen," he said with a gruesome smirk.

The girl was as far away from the wall she could get, trying to reach him so that she may attack him. It reminded him of a dog on a leach. He smiled until it was no longer a smile but a malevolent grin, like a monster from a nightmare. He stepped forward, taking a handful of her raven colored hair and forcing her neck upward. He placed the used knife to her pale slender throat, the knife glistening threateningly.

"You deleted those files. You deleted her from everything. You are going to bring them back. You are going to tell me where she is."

"Like hell!" She spat.

Her persistence annoyed him. He withdrew the knife and then took her head and slammed it hard into the wall, creating a large crack against it. Mea moaned in pain.

"Tell me."

"No."

His eyes flashed with anger. He pulled back his fist and slammed it into her abdomen, causing her to double over in agony. She coughed loudly, her shoulder length jet black hair hanging and shielding her face. He could see her necklace slip out from underneath her sailor school uniform. It was navy blue and white.

"TELL ME!"

Mea raised her eyes to his, her own filled with such loathing that it may have set him on fire. The girl groaned in pain, clutching her stomach and now leaning against the wall.

"I will never tell you. Anything. Never."

The man snarled. He threw his knife to the ground where it skidded across the floor like a smooth stone against water. Fury was staring to burn at his insides, rising up from the pit of his stomach and making it up all the way to his chest and arms, scorching him. He marched into a farther part in the room.

When he came back Mea could hear him dragging something along with him. It sounded like it was made of wood. When he finally came into her eyesight, her eyes widened like blue pools of terror. Yes, Mea's eyes were blue just like hers. But Mea's were lighter. A light blue like the sky or perhaps even ice. His beloved's was a much darker shade of blue…

He slid the item towards her. It landed only inches away from her feet.

It was a wooden box. A coffin, just her size. His laugh tore through the air.

"I think maybe I need to give you some time alone. Maybe some time… to _think _about it."

And then he grabbed her slender arm, already having the key to her restraints inside his back pocket…

~:*:~

When he woke up he couldn't see. Everything was fuzzy and blurred. Kyouya moaned loudly, rising to a sitting position. He was surprised to feel something soft and cushiony from underneath his body. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. Didn't he fall asleep on the grass? Why did it feel as though he were suddenly in a bed?

Kyouya allowed his eyes to adjust a little bit more. The image wasn't that great but he could tell that he was in a hospital room – in fact – he was in one of his family's own hospitals.

What was up with him and these visits to the hospital lately? And how the heck did he even get here?

"Aaah! I'm glad to see that Mommy is finally woken up!" Tamaki cooed from somewhere beside him.

"Wha-" Kyouya turned surprised to see that Tamaki was sitting in a hospital bed beside him with his leg propped up on a strange device and with a nurse casting his ankle. Kyouya stared.

"What happened?" He inquired. He sat up, feeling rather groggy. He massaged his temples in slow, perfect circles.

"He tripped over a pinecone." Haruhi stated bluntly.

Kyouya turned, surprised to see her. "Oh." He said. "Well for some reason, that doesn't seem to come as a surprise."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Tamaki demanded, suddenly outraged. "I was trying to steal the ball from Hikaru! The pinecone just happened to be there!"

"Right. And out of all those people who could have broken their ankle from tripping over a pinecone, only you somehow managed it." Kyouya said without looking at him. He was searching for his glasses. His fingers hunted all along the covers and sheets and then upon his nightstand, finding nothing. "Haruhi? Where are my glasses?"

"Ah. Yeah… about that." She made a nervous laugh.

Kyouya turned, his eyes instantly becoming cold. They glinted in an ominous glare. "_What_?" He ordered, suspicion and anger dripping from the word. Tamaki screamed already terrified. The nurse tried to sooth him but it did no good. Haruhi, however, just looked him plain in the eye.

"Well… see. Mori-senpai was carrying you over his shoulder. He did it twice. The first time they didn't fall off but the second time they did and –"

"Wait. Second time?" Kyouya glared.

"They said the first time was when you fell asleep on the soccer field and Mori carried you over his shoulder to the hospital because Tamaki hurt himself. Then the second time, Mori put you down to rest on the bench so he could bring Tamaki somewhere – when he lifted you up again your glasses fell off."

Kyouya stared at the unexpected voice and face. It was that same Nameless girl. The one who he had stayed up all night, trying to find even a silver of information and woke up the next day empty handed. She was still as beautiful as ever, her long blonde hair silky and cascading down her back. Her sapphire eyes looked brighter today. Brighter than he had ever seen them since he had first met her.

"Well, I went to pick them up but one of the fan girls from the host club got to them first." Haruhi said with a sigh. "It seems that one of them had followed us to the hospital. She dived for your glasses, shouting 'mine!' and then fled into the bushes. Hikaru and Karou tried to run after her but she was rather terrifying – she even tried to bite them."

Kyouya stared in absolute disbelief. How could this have happened? Did God simply not want to allow him to live with is glasses? Was he destined to be halfway blind for the rest of his life? Or was this a sign to wear those itchy annoying contacts?

"It's going to probably take another week to get knew ones," he grumbled. His gaze shot to Haruhi. "That's another one hundred thousand yen, Haruhi."

Haruhi's face fell almost instantly. Her eyes winded and she came to a stand so fast that the chair went skidding straight into the bed behind her, furious.

"WHAT?! WHY?!"

"Because now I have to buy a new set of glasses."

"And how is that my fault?"

"You could have stopped her. You're a girl. You could have bit her back or – something."

"That's ridiculous! AND WHAT GLASSES WOULD COST SO MUCH IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"

"Wait. You're a… girl?"

Tamaki, Kyouya and Haruhi all froze simultaneously. Tamaki glanced quickly towards Kyouya then back at the Nameless who was staring at the three of them with an peculiar expression. Then suddenly she came into a panic, looking at Haruhi with a deep sense of guilt. Her face turned bright pink with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, bowing deeply. "I – I thought you were a boy! I just accused that you were a boy because you were dressed like one and – and –"

Haruhi smiled uneasily and waved her hand, trying to calm her. "D-don't worry about it. It's fine. You don't have to freak out. Besides, it's not like it matters. You don't go to our school so it's not like you can tell anyone."

The Unnamed straightened, sending Haruhi an apologetic glance. She felt horrible for having thought that Haruhi was a boy. She must be so offended!

"Mmm. She is perfectly right." He turned his eyes towards the nurse, who was gaping at Haruhi. She had obviously been fooled into thinking that Haruhi was a male as well. "As the third son of the Ootori family, I take it that you will be keeping this a secret won't you?" Kyouya plastered a joyfully fake smile, sparkles suddenly appearing all around his face. "Of course if you don't then we may have to fire you."

"Huh? What? Oh, you look positively darling young man!" The nurse said to Haruhi, smiling largely.

_Good. Now I see that we won't have any trouble_.

"Oui. What'd we miss?"

Kyouya looked up at the hazy image of Hikaru and Karou. The twin on the right had just opened a beef jerky package and took an enormous bite out of it. The other twin, probably Karou did the same (in unison with his brother of course.)

"We got cupcakes! We got cupcakes! Yaaay~!" Honey exclaimed, jumping up and down and holding up his prizes with pride. The cupcakes were all different colors, colors ranging from purple, pink, blue and green. "They are such colorful happy cupcakes! I didn't know that they had such colorful cupcakes in hospitals. Did you Takashi?"

Mori stood behind Honey-senpai, holding up a cupcake with bright pink frosting, having no intention of eating it; he was simply holding it for his cousin.

"No."

"Me neither. It's amazing!" Honey grinned childishly and then took a giant bite from the bright green cupcake, practically swallowing the whole thing in one bite.

"Oh! Such charming _gentlemen!_" The nurse gushed annunciating the last word as if she was trying to make a point. She was already done casting and bandaging Tamaki and was now walking out of the room, holding either side of her face like a pleased mother. "Such beautiful lovely people! Oh, ho, ho, ho!"

The twins both eyed her oddly as the nurse practically floated out of the room, all the while shouting to her fellow staff members: "Did you see those _handsome _men? They are just so _dashing_! I was completely blown away! They are so _manly_!"

Kyouya sighed. It seemed as though the nurse was afraid to find out that some of the other host club members might also be hiding their gender. She was keeping it safe though going a little bit over the top.

_What is this world coming too?_

"Did you guys find it ok?" The Nameless asked, walking up to the small cluster of people. She was trying to divert herself from Haruhi, obviously feeling far too embarrassed to be around her. She had to stand on her tiptoes to look at the twins and Mori. Honey stood beside her with a smile, scarfing down his cupcakes. His face was already multi-colored with frosting.

The twins smiled mischievously.

"Yeah, it was fine." Karou said. "We got enough beef jerky to last us for a life time." He flashed her a crooked smile, showing her his pockets which were spilling with beef jerky.

"I never knew that food from a vending machine could be so tasty." Hikaru added, already opening another. Beef jerky was nearly falling out of his pockets too.

The girl smiled warmly. "I'm glad you like it then."

Kyouya gazed at her back, skimming her profile. Though his vision wasn't as accurate as it could be he could still point out a thing or two. Now that she was standing he could see that she was very small, maybe only an inch or so taller than Haruhi and slender. The sun reached out from behind the window and kissed her beautiful blonde hair. She looked so delicate. Fragile. As if the slightest touch could break her.

How had she been able to go through all that agony? And how had she been able to cope without seeing any family or friends? No wonder she appeared so happy today. This was the first time she has ever been able to move around so much, let alone talk to a variety of people outside the hospital staff. Sure, he had come about once a week but she slept through nearly each visit. She probably didn't even remember him coming.

_Damn it_. He thought, tearing his eyes away.

Understanding who this girl was had been the very first thing on his mind. Knowing who she was and what had happened to her.

Being attracted to her was dead last.

~:*:~

a/n: Aaaah. My throat burns. D: I hope its not strep throat. =__= Oh, and I was wondering if anyone could help me. I want to go into some of the older chapters and fix some typo's and stuff but I'm not sure how to get into the chapter to edit it. I'm still a newbie so I suck. If anyone could please tell me, I would really appreciate it. =] I hope I don't have to download it again or anything. O__o According to some translator thing I found it said that 'burondo' was blonde in Japanese but it might be wrong. So sorry if it is.

Please keep reviewing everyone. ^^ I want to know what you all think. I hope to draw my character and Kyouya soon. :3 Though my drawings kinda suck so don't look too forward to it.

Ah! And thank you **Elena Forest**! It was Elena's idea that Kyouya lost his glasses again. I thought it would be funny. xD I plan on adding a little bit more to the story… like a flashback from the fan girl's point of view or something. Anyways, thanks again everyone! I hope you liked it.*rushes to start her picture*


	6. A Name

a/n: Ello everyone. =] Thanks so much for the reviews. They still make me happy! I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! ^^ Since I'm sick of calling my character 'Nameless' and stuff the chapter with her temporary name is finally here! :D Yay. I know many of you are excited to not have to read 'Nameless' lol. Now writing shall be a bit easier and people won't be annoyed. O__o It seems everyone came and told me that right before the chapter came out. ^^;;

I don't know if I wrote the below correctly. I think that Imouto means little sister in Japanese. I think that Nii-san is older brother and Onee-chan is older sister. I looked it up and it said Imouto is younger sister. But I'm not sure if that's what they would call them. O__o I dunno!! Sorry it's all messed up. .

A special thanks to all those who told me how to go in and edit my stories. I really appreciated it. ^^ **Amaury**, **Elena Forest** and **Regal Bryant Love**r thanks so much! :3 Now on with the chapter!

~:*:~

**Chapter Six: A Name**

~:*:~

Shugo was not a murderer.

He hated the accusing stares everyone gave him here. Stares that seared and despised him, telling him that he was guilty. But Shugo knew that he wasn't guilty. He had never been guilty and yet their stares scorched into his skin, making him feel as though he had done the worst of crimes.

But in prison… everyone here screamed that they were innocent. Shugo had already met some horrible people, people horrible to the very bone. Others were innocent, like him. But he had a very hard time telling the difference. Trouble was, once you came here you had to fight for survival.

And everyone turned into wild animals.

His life would never be the same. Shugo had planned to start college this up coming fall and now that chance of education had been taken from him. He wasn't very sure what he wanted to do with his life, he had never been. But he had planned on doing great things. Maybe become a literature teacher or even an engineer. But ever since he had been thrown in here, Shugo thought that he might take up studying law. He would find a way to get out of here, prove his innocence. And when that day came he could help the other innocents that had been framed just as he had.

But that dream was out of reach for him now.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!"

Shugo smiled brightly. It had been the first time he smiled in weeks. It felt good to smile, warmth spreading from the corners of his mouth and rising all the way to the rest of his face, lighting him up like a light bulb.

His little sister was running towards him. She was such a puny little thing, blonde hair held up in two high pigtails and not enough meat or muscle to even ward off a spider. Her huge green eyes sparkled with excitement, her little green and blue checkered dress flying behind her as she ran towards him, white flip-flops clanging loudly against the cement flooring.

Lily had been running so fast that she had to brace herself with her hands to keep herself from falling forward into the glass window. Shugo could see that she was physically trembling from enthusiasm, reaching for the little black phone beside her. She was so happy that the phone almost slipped through her fingers.

Shugo eagerly picked up the phone that was against the wall next to him, resting his elbow onto the metal table. He grinned.

"SHUGO-ONII-CHAN!" She squealed so loudly that Shugo actually had to pull the phone away fro a second, appearing bemused.

"You don't have to scream, Lily-san." Shugo said with a faint laugh. "I can hear you just fine through the phone."

Shugo and Lily were half siblings. Shugo hadn't known until the night he had found his mother dead and the man he used to call father, so distraught and torn that he had set the house on fire.

They had said that Shugo set the house on fire…

Shugo and Lily's mother had been a Japanese woman named Ayama. She was a very beautiful woman, long black hair and warm brown eyes. The man (who Shugo had believed to be his father for so long) was German. His name was Klaus and he had a fair completion, golden hair and blue eyes so dark that they could have resembled an ocean. However, this was _not_ Shugo's father. It turned out that Shugo's real father was an Italian man that Ayama had been in love with before being forced into a marriage with Klaus.

Shugo should have known. He had realized that he always looked different than his two younger sisters. Both of them had blonde hair and bright eyes, just like Klaus. Compared to his sisters, it was literally like night and day. His hair was the color of a starless night and his eyes, a blend of green and brown. Hazel. In the summer time, his sisters would burn while he would tan.

Shugo didn't know why he had never realized the differences before. Sure, people would point it out but he hadn't thought much of it. He had just shrugged it off his shoulders and continued on with his day.

Who the hell was this Italian man his mother had been in love with? Why didn't he just crash the wedding and take her away, if he loved her just as much as she loved him? Why would her mother go through with such a forced marriage? Klaus hadn't been wealthy but his family did have a good reputation as police officers. From what he had gathered, his mother's family's reputation had been a poor one. It may have only been for social status.

Since Lily's name wasn't Japanese, he assumed that it had been his father's idea to name her Lily.

"Onii-san! I missed you so much!" Lily wailed. She shifted in her seat, emerald eyes sparkling.

Lily had the same eyes as Klaus' mother; her grandmother. Sadly, Lily's grandmother and grandfather died shortly after her birth. But Klaus had said that he would always remember his mother when he looked into his youngest child's eyes.

"I missed you too, Lily." Shugo replied, smiling softly. "I've missed you so much."

"What's it like in there? Is your cellmate nice?" Lily asked, her voice ringing like sweet silver bells.

A hint of malice flashes in Shugo's eyes. For a moment he can feel anger shoot through ever cell in his body at the thought of his cellmate. His cellmate was a man called Daichi. He had murdered his baby girl. If there was one thing that Shugo had learned right away, baby killers got no peace in this place. Maybe that's why Daichi took out all his anger out on Shugo.

Shugo's second night here, Daichi had placed a razor blade to his throat for no reason. Just to rattle his insides, Shugo supposed. The next morning when breakfast was served, Daichi stole his food. The same afternoon Daichi had left feeces all over the walls beside Shugo's bunk.

Each time Shugo had stood up for himself. Each time, Shugo had somehow ended up scaring Daichi off.

Daichi did not like that.

Needless to say, Shugo and Daichi did not get along.

Shugo painted a fake smile for his younger sister. He did not want her to be worried.

"We're getting along just fine," he lied, locking her jade eyes with his. "Don't worry about me. I want to know how you're doing. Is that lady treating you nice?"

Lily smiled and nodded vigorously. "Hashimoto-san is very nice. She bought me an Easy Bake Oven for my birthday!" Her face suddenly grew very serious, jutting out her bottom lip in a sort of pout. She leaned forward and cupped her hand into the mouthpiece, whispering. "I still refuse to call her mommy though. I only had one mommy and Hashimoto-san isn't her. So I just call her by her name."

Shugo smiled ruefully. Lily's birthday had been yesterday. She had just turned eight years old and because of what had happened he could not be there to celebrate it with her or buy her anything. Shugo sighed, running his hand through his dark hair. His eyes slowly shifted over to a very pale woman leaned against the wall, watching Lily and Shugo carefully. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was clad in all black dress, beady eyes set in a disapproving glare and head held high.

"I'm sorry, Lily-san." Shugo said softly. "Once I get out of here we'll celebrate your birthday all over again, ok? I'll make sure to buy you a present too."

Lily laughed, overjoyed. "Ok!"

The woman hid her scoff behind a bleak laugh. Shugo's eyes narrowed at the woman for a moment and then brought them back down to Lily. "Is that woman behind you Hashimoto-san?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah, why?"

She didn't look like a very loving foster parent. If anything, she appeared to be cruel and mocking. Shugo wondered if Lily was lying about the woman's kind treatment. But of course – no one really gave Shugo warm smiles or glances anymore. Now that he had been convicted as a murderer no one had treated him kindly; no one except for Lily of course.

She knew. Lily knew that he wasn't a killer.

"Just wondering," Shugo said quickly.

Lily nodded slowly.

"Have you heard anything about Onee-chan?" Lily asked gently. She used both hands to steady the phone, her eyes shooting hesitatingly towards Hashimoto-san before they were directed onto Shugo again. "They still say that I'm crazy. That I've never even had a big sister."

Shugo bit down on his tongue. He could feel his eyebrows furrow, glancing at the guards patrolling the area.

They had said that he was crazy too. That Lily was his only sister. That there were no records of another sister even existing. That he had made her up.

Shugo and Lily both knew that they had not made her up. Their sister was as real as was the sun and the moon. They both knew it. And someday soon, they would prove it.

But Imouto-san had vanished. After the accident she was no where to be found. Shugo wondered if she was even still alive. The fire had been bad, so bad that Shugo thought that he may have died within it as well. But they had escaped. They had all escaped; except for their mother's lifeless corpse and their father's damaged soul.

Klaus had refused to leave. He had wanted to die. Wanted to choke and burn to ashes.

There was nothing Shugo could have done…

But still. Imouto-san had been the first one to get out safely. By the time Shugo had gotten Lily and emerged from the house, she had disappeared. Once the police came, Shugo been informed that he was under arrest for arson and the murder of Ayama and Klaus. Since he was nineteen years old he was sent straight to jail.

Because Shugo was thrown into jail and Imouto-san was missing, Lily had no where else to go. (Not that Imouto-san could take care of Lily anyway, seeing as she was seventeen and still considered a minor.) All the other family members were dead; all except this mysterious Italian lover Ayama had been in love with. Even so, that man was not Lily's father. So the police had placed Lily in the Foster Care System and into the home of Haruka Hashimoto.

God knows what could happen to her while she was in there…

What had happened to his second youngest sister? How had everything about her existence suddenly vanish? Birth certificates, school records, her social security number – all of it was gone. Deleted. According to records and filing, she didn't exist.

"I haven't heard anything, either." Shugo said with a defiant sigh. "It's been weeks. I haven't heard anything."

The whole situation made Shugo worried. What if something had happened to her? What if she had gotten killed or hurt?

The same thoughts reflected in his youngest sister's eyes. Tears began to fill her Irish green eyes. Shugo felt a surge of panic.

"N-no! Don't cry, Lils!" Shugo cried. He placed his palm against the glass. "I'm sure she's fine. She's probably… just… ah – singing to the animals in the forest. Or something. She'll come back soon. Don't worry."

_Singing to the animals in the forest_? A voice repeated in his head, blandly. _Where the heck did that come from_?

Lily sniffed, rubbing her wet eyes. "Y-you really think so?"

"I know so." Shugo said so firmly that it actually made Lily smile.

She lifted her tiny hand, placing it over Shugo's larger one against the glass. Shugo smiled weakly at the difference between their hands. Both his sisters had always been so small compared to him. It had always caused him to feel overly protective.

"I'm scared, Nii-chan." Lily's said her voice falling into a soft murmur, her green eyes suddenly seeming to be fascinated with something on the table. "Hashimoto-san is nice but there are a lot of other kids living with her. She told me that they're like my brother's and sister's but it's not the same. Some of them are kind of mean." She winced as though remembering something bitter. "I miss both of you. I just want to come home."

Shugo swallowed, hard. His eyes grazed over his littlest sister's pained expression, his mouth curved into a downwards frown. Both of their hands were still pressed against the glass and Shugo felt his fingers give a slight twitch, as if he could reach out and touch her. He could feel his throat tighten.

"I know," he managed to choke. "I want to come home too. I want to come home with both of my sisters."

"Lily," Hashimoto-san barked suddenly. She walked up to Lily's back, her fingers curling around Lily's tiny shoulder. The woman's fingers were so thin that Shugo thought that he could almost make out all the bones in her fingers. Shugo thought that Hashimoto may have sunk her nails into Lily's skin because his sister flinched. "Let's go. Your visitation time is up."

At once Lily started to cry. "No! Just five more minutes! Please, Hashimoto-san? Please?"

"There's nothing I can do." The woman replied curtly. "Say your goodbyes."

Lily turned her large pleading green eyes onto Shugo. Shugo felt his heart sink all the way down into his stomach. He could feel tears pinch in the back of his eyes but he quickly blinked them away. He didn't want his sister to see him crying.

"I love you Lily," Shugo said. "Don't ever forget that. I'll always love you. I'll be with you soon."

Lily shook her head, tears flying. "But I want you here. Now!"

Shugo wanted to be with her too. Shugo wanted to be with her with all of his heart. But he couldn't do that right now. Right now it was impossible.

"I'm always in your heart Lily." Shugo said lightly. "I'm always in your heart, watching over you. Just remember that."

"Let's go, Lily! Now!" Hashimoto-san hissed. She pulled Lily away but not before Shugo could hear those last trembling little words. Words that he would keep with him forever and words that would strive for him to fight for his innocence.

"I love you Nii-san!"

Shugo watched with pain in his heart as Hashimoto dragged Lily towards the exist. Shugo remained rooted to his chair, hand still against the glass and phone still propped against his ear. Green eyes bore into hazel before they vanished around a corner, with a whirl of Hashimoto's black dress.

Suddenly Shugo felt strangely empty. It was as if he were nothing but a shell, a boy with no soul. He had decided at an early age that he would be his sister's guardian angel. That he would watch out for them no matter what happened.

Shugo felt like he had failed that promise. Slowly he allowed his eyes to drift shut and leaned his head forward against the glass. His body felt hot and the glass felt cool. He could feel his tears fill to the brim behind closed eyes and unwillingly, they slowly slipped down his cheeks and dripped onto the metal table.

He wondered if he had a guardian angel.

If he did, Shugo believed that he was too distant for it to hear him.

~:*:~

"Such a terrible burden I must bear. To think, that I have to wear this dreadful weight over my beautiful ankle. Oh, the misfortune!"

"It's not all that bad Tama-chan. We can draw pretty pictures on it." Honey said with a cheerful smile. "I'm gonna draw a bunny! And – and maybe a cupcake! Or else, perhaps a strawberry. Hmmmm. What should I draw Takashi?"

Mori turned to him slowly, his face rather blank. "All three."

"Yes! That's a great idea!" Honey cried. He ran over to Tamaki's side, pulling up a small stool and a permanent marker that had been in the nightstands drawer. Honey hummed a little song as he worked, despite Tamaki's depressed mood. Tamaki looked as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, staring off into the distance with a discouraged face.

"Doodling, doodling, doodling," Honey sang merrily to himself. It seemed that several little pink flowers appeared around his face as he did so.

When Honey was done he had signed his name and drew all three pictures around it. "Yay, all done." He smiled, snapping the cap over the marker's tip. He looked around to his fellow host club members. "Anyone else want to sign?"

The twins signed it next along with words like: 'Nice going, boss' and 'the pinecones are coming'! With a small sigh, Haruhi signed her name next and (too much of Tamaki's delight) a 'hope you heal very soon =)'.

"Awww! My little daughter loves me so much that she even made a smiley face! Dwahahaha!"

"Tamaki-senpai! Let go of me!" Haruhi demanded, trashing like a fish out of water in Tamaki's strong embrace.

"But it was so cuuuuttee!" Tamaki practically sang his arms as strong as tight boa constrictors around Haruhi. All the while, Mori-senpai was crouched over by Tamaki's ankle, signing simply his name, all emotion wiped clean from his face. When he was done he came to Haruhi's rescue, grabbing onto the back of her shirt and hoisting her up easily from Tamaki's death hold. It reminded the Nameless of a mother cat carrying her kitten by the loose skin around its neck.

"Thanks, Mori-senpai." Haruhi said after Mori had placed her back down, brushing herself off as if Tamaki's embrace had been full of dust or something. Mori handed the marker back to Haruhi who turned to Kyouya, holding it out to him. "You wanna sign it, Kyouya-senpai?"

Kyouya sighed. "I suppose so." He slowly crawled out of bed, taking the permanent marker from Haruhi in the process.

"Are you going to write, Mommy? Are you? Are you? It would make Daddy so happy!" Tamaki said, wiggling slightly in his bed.

"No. Stop referring to us as if we're husband and wife." Kyouya said impassively. He bent down beside Tamaki's ankle, rather than sitting on the stool, squinting his eyes so that he could write. He signed his name in quick, elegant script and then drew a small arrow, pointing to Haruhi's name. Underneath the arrow he wrote: 'Owes ten thousand yen' and then straightened, looking over at the blonde-haired girl.

"Would you like to write something?" He asked, holding out the marker between his fingers.

The girl looked at the marker wearily. Then her eyes rose and met Kyouya's, forcing a smile.

"No, that's okay."

She wanted to sign her name more than anything. But she didn't know her name. Nurses and doctors usually referred to her as 'Jane Doe' but that wasn't a name that she wanted to write. She wanted to know her real name more than anything else. She would have loved to sign it…

"Hey! I have an idea!" Honey-senpai said, pointing his finger up high in the air to indicate such. "Why don't we name you? That you can sign your name!"

The girl blinked. "Uh…"

"Sure. Let's do it." The twins said together, giving Honey-senpai a dual thumbs up. "Great idea, Honey-senpai!"

The girl's eyes widened. "Wait – are you allowed too –"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Kyouya said with a cool smirk. He tapped the capped marker over his shoulder, quick and rhythmically his arctic gray eyes never wavering from her face. "It is quite troubling to address you without one. Besides, don't you feel troubled that no one can call you by anything?"

The girl hesitated. "I – I suppose I –"

"Aaahh! The loss of not knowing your own name! The tragedy!" Tamaki said dramatically, looking off into a nonexistence sunset. "To always be known as a Nameless maiden without any memory of your family or friends. To forever be known as Jane Doe – our anonymous beauty!" A thousand sparkles randomly reigned out of Tamaki's open hands. "And how should one live without a label of a name? Why! They cannot! Thus – it is up to us men! It is up to us to name this beautiful creature, so that she may no longer be in the mist of her own confusion. No longer will she look into the mirror and ask herself 'what am I?' BUT HAVE THE FULL PURPOSE OF KNOWING WHO SHE IS!"

"Oooh!" Honey and the twins said together, in pure amazement of Tamaki's speech. The three of them applauded him in absolute awe.

Tamaki touched his face gingerly, his eyes sweeping down onto the ground in a seductive manner. "Thank you, thank you."

Haruhi, Kyouya and Mori just stared at the four of them, their faces blank of any emotion. And then quite suddenly, Haruhi exploded.

"Look, she's not just some cat you guys found on the street!" Haruhi screamed, pointing at the girl. "She's a girl! A human being! She already has a name!"

"Ah, but my dear, dear Haruhi." Tamaki said reaching out and putting his arm around her, forcing her closer to his bedside. "The Princess does not remember her real name. And until she remembers or until she discovers it, it would only be suitable for us to call her by something. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, but –"

"Then it's settled." Tamaki said with a large sparkly grin. He turned over to the girl, thrusting his finger at her. The Unknown flinched, her eyes suddenly wide. "We are not leaving this room until we find a name for you, Nameless Beauty! Now let's get cracking men – BRAINSTORM!"

"Right!" Honey and the twins said together, giving Tamaki a sort of salute. Mori didn't say anything but he did decide to salute him.

The girl stared at the group in absolute disbelief. She couldn't believe this. They were actually going to do this? They were actually going to give her… a name? The Nameless could feel herself trembling, her breath locked in her chest, eyes wavering back and forth to each of the people in the room. A subtle play of happiness ran over her face and then grew larger, smiling like a child who had just came down the stairs and found all their presents wrapped under the Christmas tree.

"Thank you!" She gasped breathlessly. She bowed greatly, her light hair creating a large curtain over her face. "Th-thank you so much!"

"You don't have to thank us! It's something that will be fun!" Honey-senpai said with a wide smile. He grabbed her hand and began to pull, forcing her to stop bowing – though her back was slightly crouched as Honey dragged her – and then with amazing force, threw her down onto the bed Kyouya once occupied, making her sit. He flashed her a youthful grin and took a seat next to her. Mori stood on the other side of Honey, handing his cousin the cupcake he had been holding. Honey squealed and took it, already starting to devour it.

"Of course, it would have to be a name her liking." Kyouya said with a crafty smirk. "We can't just name her anything we would like without her approving it."

The girl's large blue eyes skated over to Kyouya. His cold grey eyes met her and she felt her chest give a slight squeeze. His piercing eyes were incredibly lashed, settling over perfect porcelain skin. The girl felt her heart rate slightly increase before forcing herself to look away.

_What the heck is wrong with me?_ She thought.

"Ah, yes! So true!" Tamaki said brightly. "Well then let us decide!"

"LET'S CALL HER CANDY!" Honey-senpai cheered after finishing his cupcake. "I think that would be a sweet name!"

The girl felt a sense of fear and dread punch her straight in her stomach.

"I'm sorry but… there's just no way." The girl breathed. She felt like she had just chocked on something unpleasant.

"Awww," Honey whined. "Then how about Alicia?"

"Eh? Why Alicia?" Hikaru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because it means sweet!" Honey replied chirpily.

"I thought it meant noble." Kyouya said slowly, thinking back to when his cousin had gotten pregnant and they had looked up a ton of different names of different cultures. "I've never heard that it meant sweet before."

"Nuh-uh. It can mean both." Honey informed them briskly.

"Yeah, ok." Hikaru said lazily, rolling his eyes. "How about Aiko? Or Akumi?"

"No way. I like Sakura way better than any of those." Karou said.

"Psssh. Whatever." Hikaru said now looking over to Haruhi. "How about you, Haruhi? Got any ideas?"

Haruhi didn't seem at all very enthused to participate but when she glanced over at the girl her eyes were bright and hopeful, causing Haruhi to feel a slight prang of guilt. She sighed, turning back over to the twins and tapping her chin in thought.

"Well, gee I dunno." She said truthfully, staring up at the ceiling. "How about something original? Liiikkkeee… I got it!" Haruhi stated placing a fist into her open hand to show that something had clicked. "Sally."

The twins stared at her, unimpressed. "Jeesh, Haruhi. You're not very creative are you?"

"What? It's a nice name." Haruhi said in her defense.

"It's so common!"

"YOU FOOL'S!" Tamaki suddenly roared, slamming his fist upon the nightstand so hard that everyone in the room (except for Kyouya and Mori) jumped. The King was obviously furious. His eyebrows were formed into a scowl, blue eyes frozen and cold. "Don't you people realize? We need a name suited for a beautiful princess!! A name that signifies: ROYALTY!!"

The Nameless blinked. "Uhhh…" She stared at Tamaki with large confused eyes. "What the –" She was cut off by Tamaki pointing at her with such intensity that she actually felt her expression pinch. "Do not worry my caged bird. WE WILL GIVE YOU A NAME SUITED FOR A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS!"

The girl felt a small sweat drop form beside her head. "O-ok…"

"Hmmm. Well Guinevere is a royal name. Though it says that she was a queen not a princess," Kyouya stated, suddenly typing furiously against his laptop and sitting on the stool beside Tamaki's casted ankle.

Haruhi watched Kyouya without an expression. "Wait. Where did he get that?" Her voice sounded emotionless.

"What do you mean? He's Kyouya-senpai," the twins said in unison. "He always has his laptop."

"Yeah, but he didn't have it _before_."

"So? He has it now." They said together with a shrug.

"Ugh." Haruhi sighed. "Damn these rich bastards…"

"Anyway," Kyouya continued, pretending like he had never heard Haruhi's question. The laptop actually belonged to the nurse who was in the room just a few seconds ago but Kyouya decided it was more fun to keep Haruhi in the dark. "Isodle was a princess, though the name was based off a medieval legend and is one of the most influential medieval romances. Of course, we could always go with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, as Juliet would be considered royalty. Though, all the stories containing such names end in tragedy. Of course there are other Japanese princesses such as princess Akishino – also known as Kiko. There was also Princess Asuka who was the daughter of Emperor Tenji and princess over the Asuka Period. And of course we have Princess Aya from the Japanese legend 'Princess of Peony'. Technically speaking, there are endless possibilities for names of Japanese royalty and royalty in itself."

Everyone stared at Kyouya in silence. All of their minds seemed to suddenly be buzzing with knowledge overload.

"Ohhh… well… uh…" The Nameless scratched the top of her head, looking utterly confused. "There all nice names but I don't think that any of them –"

"LET'S CALL HER CINDERELLA!" Honey-senpai suddenly shouted.

"Huuuuuh?" The bright-eyed girl shouted, her face swerving over to Honey.

The twins snickered. The two came and stood behind her, using her head as an arm rest and glancing down at her with sly expressions over their faces. "We could deal with that. We could call you 'Cinderelly' for short. Awww, so cute." The twins cooed, pinching her cheeks.

"Ah! No! Stop that!" The girl cried attempting to push the two of them away.

"Leave her alone you guys," Haruhi snapped. "She's not a toy."

Hikaru and Karou exchanged evil smirks before crossing over to Haruhi, each wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"It's alright Haruhi. You don't have to be jealous." Karou said.

Haruhi glared. "Jealous? What?"

"Don't worry. You'll always be our toy." Hikaru said poking Haruhi's little cheek bone. She growled, shoving his hand away.

"Knock it off you gu-"

"STOP PESTERING MY PRECIOUS HARUHI!" Tamaki suddenly cried, waving his arms in the air animatedly. "SHE IS NOT YOUR TOY!"

"Just because you want her as a toy doesn't mean that you can have her as one." The twins said together, deadpan.

"I would never think of using my daughter as a toy, you evil twins!"

"Sure, sure closet pervert."

The Nameless watched in shock as the twins and Tamaki continued to biker back and forth. Meanwhile Haruhi was trying to wiggle her way out of the twin's dual grasps and Kyouya was busying himself with looking up more names on the internet and Honey was singing and dancing next to her: "Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it's Cinderelly! Make the fire, make the breakfast. Wash the dishes, do the mopping!"

The girl felt as though her head was going to blow up from all the insanity. She closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears, trying to block everything out but it proved to be quite useless. The chaos was creeping into her ears, overwhelming her. She couldn't think straight and her mind was starting to go haywire.

An image flashes behind her closed eyes.

Fire. Fire engulfing the room. Everything was covered in fire. She can feel the heat, smell the smoke. Panic starts to tingle in every muscle in her body. Smoke is filling her lungs. She tries to breathe, gasping. She can't breathe. She's dying. She can't breathe…

"Safira."

The word broke the girl away from her vision, slamming her back down to reality. She turned towards Kyouya, who was the one who had spoken.

"W-what?"

"Well you're obviously not fully Japanese. Your blonde hair and blue eyes suggest that much. In that case, it may have been possible that you didn't have a Japanese name." Kyouya said, steel eyes flashing with a hint of scrutiny. "However, you may have had a Japanese name if you are only half of what you are. Take Tamaki for example. His mother is French and his father is Japanese, so he has a Japanese name. It could have been the same occurrence with you."

The girl merely stared with her lips slightly parted. Her sapphire eyes methodically reached his own, eyebrows a little bit raised. It was a very beautiful name, she had to agree. But did it really suit her? Was she really lovely enough to really be known as such?

"Besides," Kyouya came to a stand, placing his laptop on the stool. He came over to stand in front of her, his onyx eyes moving over her features while remaining in silence. It couldn't be determined what he was really thinking. Kyouya gave no physical hints to whether his thoughts were negative or positive.

The movement was slow, his hand lifting towards her.

For some reason she was certain that she could hear her own pulse. The room had became deathly silent, all eyes burning onto the two of them. The host club members seemed to have been stunned into silence by Kyouya's words and actions.

Her very mind seemed to have gone numb. Her body turned into unresponsive stone, muscles tensing and fingers curling so tightly around bed sheets that her knuckles turned white.

From an onlooker, it may have appeared to be a kind or simple gesture but, interiorly, it seemed almost harsh. Angry even. The girl stared up at Kyouya innocently as he bent his upper body over hers to level her with his face. Sapphire eyes met cold steel for a brief second before Kyouya's eyes flashed downcast. There seemed to be something he was holding back. Despite this, Kyouya only smiled. A soft smile at the corner of his lips.

Unexpectedly, his index finger hooked around the silver chain around her neck. The Best Friend's trinket sparkled brightly from the sunlight's beams emptying into the window, glittering like a twinkling star. It was such a captivating jewel. Sapphire.

"You are wearing a sapphire colored gem. It is obvious that it is not a _real_ sapphire – I would know a real sapphire when I saw one. But you were obviously fond of the color as you wear it around your neck like this. And Safira is also known as a variant to a sapphire." He slowly unhooked his finger from around her chain and straightened, seeming almost pleased by her bemused expression. "It suits you."

She tried to control herself, tried not to blush. She tried to steady her sudden uneven heart rate and stiff muscles. She forced an uneasy smile, butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach.

The girl didn't respond for about ten seconds, her mind still far off in thoughts of trying to organize her emotions. She forced her eyes away, casting them out the window. She did not know where else to put them.

"I – um. Yeah. I like that." She mumbled. Her face was veiled by golden hair. When she finally looked back up at him, her smile was flawless. "I like it a lot."

"Mm. Good." Was the only response Kyouya gave, holding an indifferent expression. He tossed her the marker which she clumsily caught. "Then go sign it."

Kyouya would rather die than tell her the real reason why he thought Safria suited her so well.

It was because of her eyes. Her eyes, the very same shade as a sapphire.

The girl smiled largely. It felt as if sunshine was slowly spreading through her limbs and happiness swelled inside her chest. The girl practically floated down off the bedside and slowly approached Tamaki's casted ankle. She flashed him a tiny smile, despite the overwhelming joy inside her. Tamaki smiled back in return, his eyes soft.

Bending down over his ankle, she signed her name.

_Safira._

~:*:~

a/n: So I hope everyone likes her temporary name. I pronounce it as: S(a)-fi-rah It means precious gem. =]

I hope no one is disappointed. ^^; I like Japanese names but this name seems to suit her. I like it anyway. =[ Yeah, I like really weird names. -__- Sorry. I'm a freak with them. Tell me what you think. =)

I originally wanted to call her Saphira and then I remembered it was a name of the dragon in Eragon and I was like… yeah. Never mind. I don't want to feel the rage of Eragon fans. O__o But this is what Saphira means and stuff. Pronounced: Sa-fear-uh. It means Blue Jewel I guess. I had the websites with all the info but apparently I'm not allowed to post them.

And I'm not up for any new suggestions so please don't bring up any. It's my character, yo! =p And no she's not Hebrew despite that being the origin of her name. Remember now we know (if we were reading) that she is German and Japanese! :3 If you are wondering, yes, that is Safira's little sister and older brother. =] She's the middle child. Mwahaha!

Anyone who has the name _Candy, Alicia, Aiko, Akumi, Sakura, Sally, Guinevere, Isodle, Juliet, Akishino, Kiko, Asuka, Aya, Cinderella or Cinderelly_ (lol) I hope you did not take offence. I would feel bad. =[ My intention was to just to make it slightly humorous as the host club tried to find a name for my OC, so that she may no longer go about as The Nameless. It was getting very frustrating and hard to write as her haha. Anyway, Happy 4th of July everyone! =D


	7. Dragons and Glares

a/n: I just had my birthday everyone! ^.^ I'm finally 19. Woo! *throws confetti* \^.^/

It was July 6th for those who care to know. =]

It's a bit scary. I wish I was 16 again. That was my favorite age. C= Don't ask why, just was. Everyone who is 16 appreciate it! It goes by so fast. *dreads to think of college* ;__;

I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. Again, I just want to tell you all how thankful I am for all these reviews. In the beginning I felt so down and I didn't think that I would get anything. But all these reviews made me so, so, SO happy. I can't thank all of you enough. =]

Oh, and I would like to thank Regal Bryant Lover because the information RBL gave me about the Japanese Health System shall come in handy during this next chapter. =] And I also want to thank PurpleSkye for offering to proofread my chapters and stuffy. So thank you. Squee~!

Sorry for the late update everyone. This is my own fault for not checking my email lol. ^^;

~:*:~

**Chapter 7: Dragons and Glares.**

~:*:~

_Help me_. Mea screamed inside her mind. _Please… someone… help me_.

She could barely breathe. The heat was so strong, so unbearable. Sweat was trickling down her neck, the sticky air filled with the scent of decay, blood and foul body odors.

Her own smell.

Mea was suffocating.

The wooden box imprisoning her was so small that her arms and legs touched its wooden sides. Cold terror clutched her. She tried to scream but no sound was ever emitted. Her throat was completely parched.

She tried to raise her hand, roll sideways so she could push the lid. She dragged her right hand up and twisted it enough to turn slightly, clawing at the top. Mea didn't know why she was bothering. He had nailed the top shut and had laughed as he did so, despite her pleas for him to stop.

It was so dark. She would give anything for just a sliver of light.

She pushed and scraped until her fingers grew numb. Despite the fact that the heat was unbearable, chills run through her as death closed in. Slowly, Mea knew, peace would wash over her as well. She would soon be dead. She would be safe…

The life Mea had dreamed about flashed into her mind. She saw herself finishing college, throwing up her hat and grasping a diploma in her hand. She was going to get a job as a veterinarian.

Another image flashed. She saw herself in a beautiful white wedding dress. She was getting married on a beautiful spring day, a casual backyard wedding in front of their lake at home. A canopy of flowers twisted above her and her fiancé, petals falling onto their figures as her husband slipped her wedding band onto her finger. Her father was standing in the distance, smiling proudly. Her best friend standing beside her, crying tears of joy as her Maid of Honor. Her fiancé was a man with no face. Mea never got to meet her true love.

No. No, she had.

But she had never been able to tell him how she felt.

Moonlight shimmered off the sand as she and her husband walked hand in hand by the ocean's shore, feeling the ocean lapping at their feet and wet sand squishing between their toes. They promised to love each other forever.

In another picture, she was holding a baby girl and a little boy was running towards her.

Mea chocked a sob. So much she had hoped for. All of her dreams taken.

_At least I know that she'll be safe._ Mea thought. Her left hand slowly rose to her Best Friend's necklace, fiddling with it in the darkness. Her best friend. She was safe. As long as she didn't bring those files up again, she would be safe. He couldn't find her…

Just as the hope of life and a family began to fade, just as her eyes began to close, she heard it.

Footsteps.

Mea's ears instantly perked. Her arms and legs scraped against the wooden box, rubbing her skin almost raw. She then laid perfectly still once the footsteps stopped directly beside the box.

Suddenly she was engulfed with light.

The wood broke and splintered. Someone was clawing it open. Cool air brushed her skin and she dragged in as much as she possibly could. Her chest jammed with emotions. Relief. Sadness. Anger.

She knew who it was.

She knew who it was and they had only come to her rescue for this short while. Sooner or later, she would be back in the box again.

Only next time, he was going to put her in the ground. Bury her alive.

Just like all the others.

"Hello, sweet little Mea." The man cooed. The girl squinted her eyes at the bright light shining over his head. If it hadn't been him, if it hadn't been _this man_ then Mea would have almost seen the light as a golden halo radiating from above his face. But this man was anything but angelic. He was a demon. And to Mea, the light around him was anything but light at all. They were flames, flames twisting and burning into his sick, maniac mind.

In his hand was a tiny silver bowl of food - a dog bowl. He rattled it against the sides as if she were some kind of caged animal. He grinned, that same sadistic murderous grin. Mea glared.

"Are you hungry, my little pet?"

Of course she was hungry. He had been starving her. She hadn't eaten anything in days, even before he had put her in the box.

"I have something for you." He said cruelly. He shoved the bowl into her hands. Mea was too hungry to even care that he had given her Cheerio's or that it was without milk. He hadn't provided her with a spoon and even if he had, Mea doubted that she would have used it. The starving lioness that clawed and roared inside her belly took over her. Mea grabbed heavy scoops of Cheerio's, practically shoving them into her mouth.

It tasted like heaven.

He threw something else at her. She glanced down at a water bottle, halfway filled. She uncapped it eagerly and took long heavy gulps. The water was lukewarm but she did not care. Anything was better than that dry feeling that had been in her throat and mouth.

"There is more food and drink upstairs," the man whispered in spiteful undertones. He was trying to turn on his charm. "You can have as much as you want. You can eat and drink anything. All you have to do is bring back those files. After that I'll make everything all better."

Mea could see through his little act. Mea had seen through it this whole time.

And of course… no one had listened to her.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. The bowl of Cheerio's was already empty and so, her only response was to chuck it as hard as she could at the man's head. But she had grown weak, weak from starvation and isolation. It hadn't done that much damage other than giving him a bloody nose. In the end, she had only ended up making him angry. Furious, he rammed his elbow into her temple causing her to let out a small little shriek. Pain exploded in the side of her face.

"You ungrateful little wretch!" He hissed, clutching his nose. Blood spilled between his fingers, cold eyes glowering. "You'll pay for that!"

Mea tried to convince herself that she wasn't afraid but that would be a lie. Deep down, she was terrified. Terrified of his promises. Terrified of dying. Terrified of what he could and might do.

But she refused to show it. She tried her hardest not to show it. She would not give this man the satisfaction of her fear. It was what he wanted. And as long as she stayed stubborn then Mea knew that he could not kill her. That he would have to keep coming down here to feed her and give her something to drink. Mea had the valuable information for him to find _her_. And she would be damned if she was ever going to give it to him.

He had told her that he would make it all better once she returned the files. But Mea knew that was a lie. She knew too much. Saw too much. After she handed over the information, he would kill her. Bury her alive.

"Do what you want. I'll never bring back those files." Mea hissed. "I'll never let you find her. _Never_."

He reached out for her bony arm and squeezed so hard that Mea actually winced. His eyes bore into her sky blue ones. "You can't stay strong forever. Eventually, your body will grow weaker. Eventually you'll be standing at the brink of death. And when that time comes, you'll be compelled to bring those files back."

Mea spat in his face. He snarled, throwing her back down into the box. His fingers hooked around the box's now open front, dragging her along the floor. They came to a stop at the wall where the chains were and forced her back into her shambles, despite her pathetic attempts to fight him off. When she was fully chained, he grinned.

"I'll be back for you later." He said in a lowered tone. He turned, walking towards the stairs. On his way there he turned the lights off. The basement was automatically filled with black.

Red hot anger blinded her.

"ONE DAY THEY WILL FIND YOU!" Mea screamed. "AND WHEN THEY DO YOU'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE! YOU'LL PAY FOR ALL THOSE WOMEN YOU'VE KILLED! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE! MY FAMILY WILL LOOK FOR ME! _THEY'LL FIND ME_!"

He stopped in his tracks. He had only been halfway up the stairs. For a second he seemed momentarily stunned by Mea's words.

But only momentarily.

A wicked smile flashed across his face, teeth showing in the faint light pooling in from the open door ahead.

An ominous laugh rendered through the air.

"Oh… I'll make sure that they find you, Mea. You can be sure of that."

Chills pricked at Mea's arms and legs. Her heart seemed to have sputtered and then stop, eyes widening. She suddenly felt nauseated. Heat gushed through her veins and up into her head. She was barely aware of her body sliding down the wall's side or that she had fallen to the ground.

He would make sure that they would find her.

He would make sure that would find her body.

He would make sure that when they found her, she would be dead.

~:*:~

"What was that about, Kyouya-senpai?" Kaoru asked, genuinely curious. His eyes and body stance proved that much, amber eyes bright and unsure, head tilted to one side. Hikaru mimicked Kaoru's stance.

"Yeah, Kyouya. What the heck did you do in there?" Hikaru inquired. "Seemed kinda fishy if you ask me."

Kyouya raised an elegant eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The twins exchanged mischievous grins. Almost within an instant they reappeared beside him, arms crossed and eyes suspiciously scanning Kyouya's face.

"Your behavior was odd. It seemed like you were _interested_ in that girl." Kaoru said with a wide smirk.

"Yeah. And how you approached her was just down right weird. Almost _seductive_." Hikaru chuckled darkly.

"And are you _sure_ you wanted to name her Safira because of her _necklace_? I could have _sworn_ that you locked _eyes_ with her before swiftly turning your attention to the amulet around her neck."

Kyouya said nothing.

"Spill it." They said together.

The raven-haired man sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "There is nothing to 'spill' other than that I like the name." He glanced at them from the corner of his eye. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"Ah, no way." Kaoru and Hikaru said, holding up in their hands. "The name's fine. It's just how you _acted. _That's the part we're curious about."

Kyouya shook his head, turning away from them. "Does it matter?"

He realized that what he had done was out of character for him but not until _after_ he had done it. He wasn't the type of person to try to make a woman blush or stutter. That was Tamaki's roll. At the Host Club he was able to smile nicely and be polite. All of it was to gain merits. Perhaps, if he flattered a few girls at the host club he could gain some buyers for some Host Club magazines or even another strange movie filmed by Renge.

But there had been no merits for him to make her embarrassed. And there were no merits in thinking of a name.

He had to stop thinking about it. He had to stop worrying himself over this whole thing. It was absolute nonsense. He had more important things to worry about – such as ordering a new pair of glasses.

"Of course it matters!" Hikaru and Kaoru shouted at the same time.

Kyouya exhaled loudly and attempted to walk passed them. But the twins were far quicker, already grasping onto his shoulder and whirling him back around to face them, their golden eyes penetrating.

"This is our Evil Demon Lord we're talking about," Hikaru exclaimed. "When you're not acting evil then it's just plain weird."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "So you think me to be evil?"

"No. We _know_ you to be evil."

"Ugh." Kyouya closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt a migraine approaching. "Think whatever you want." He snapped irritability. "I don't care. I need to go set up another prescription date for my –"

"LEAVE MOMMY ALONE YOU LAWLESS TWINS!" Tamaki roared from somewhere behind them.

The trio blinked and slowly turned to find Tamaki, Honey, Mori and Haruhi. Tamaki was trying to balance on his crutches with his casted foot jutted out in front of him, thrusting his pointer finger at Hikaru and Kaoru all the while having a very angry 'Daddy' face.

Mori had Honey hoisted up onto his shoulders looking rather bored. Honey had Usa-chan placed between his body and Mori's head all the while waving a colorful arrangement of sweets in his hands, grinning. Haruhi stood on the other side of Tamaki appearing straight faced and annoyed.

"Huh? But we weren't doing anything." The two identical ones chorused. They innocently shrugged, appearing to not understand what their King was getting at. "Honestly. Just because we're alone with Kyouya-senpai doesn't mean that we're up to anything."

Tamaki appeared in front of them much too fast for a man with a broken ankle. He waved one of his crutches in the air like a madman shouting:

"Lies! Lies and slanders! Slanderous lies!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." The duo replied deadpan. They turned around simultaneously, hands stuffed into their pockets. "Let's just get out of here."

"Get back here you jaded pair of twins! I know you're up to something and I won't let it down until I know what!"

"Why can't you just accept the fact that we're trying to live normal happy lives?" Kaoru remarked, not looking behind him.

"Yeah, boss. It's not like we try to conspire something _all the time_."

"That means you conspire half the time! Now get back!" Tamaki swung his crutches forward. He was moving so quickly you would think that he was in a race to win a trip to a commoner convention. "Don't think that I won't figure it out!"

"Yay! We're going home! That means cake, cake, cake and cake~!" Honey sang, unraveling a brightly colored lollipop from its packaging. "Oh… I think that this one's grape flavored."

Haruhi sighed, following after them. She had barely begun to move forward when Kyouya abruptly grabbed onto back of her shirt, pulling her back so that she stood next to him. Haruhi screamed in shock, turning wide-eyed over to The Demon Lord.

"W-what is it?"

"Haruhi. I need you to be my guide."

Her face fell like a ton of bricks. "Uh. What?"

"I don't have my glasses. I can see but not very well. I trusted myself to navigate around the hospital room because it was so small. But now that we're out in the open, I don't trust myself. I'm counting on you, so that I don't crash into any walls, people or signs. The rest of them are idiots. So I'm asking you."

Haruhi's eyebrow gave a slight twitch. "Uh…"

"And if I _do_ crash into anything then your debt will be tripled." Kyouya added bluntly.

"What?!"

"Now let's move along. C'mon. Show me the way." He gripped onto Haruhi's shoulder and gave her a slight nudge. "Go. Lead the blind man."

"Ugh. Fine." Haruhi grumbled. She began walking forward leading Kyouya through the hospital hallways and following the backs of her fellow Host Club members.

She veered Kyouya around several nurses and other hospital staff. They had came very close to actually hitting one of the patients but Haruhi avoided the patient at the last second, turning to the right and dragging Kyouya long with her. Though, she must have turned a little too fast because Kyouya nearly slammed his shoulder into the wall.

"Haruhi," Kyouya's tone rang with a warning. "If you make me bump into anything…"

Haruhi instantly tensed from underneath his hand.

"Alright! Alright! Alright!" She replied frantically before moving again.

Kyouya suppressed a sigh. He felt like a blind man with his dog. What would his father think if he saw him like this? Though he would look like a bigger fool if he ran dead straight into someone he knew, so in all he supposed that he was glad that he had came up with the idea.

It wasn't long before Kyouya had almost completely forgotten about Haruhi, allowing her to lead the way, putting the trust of his eyes onto her. It was almost instant, how his mind started to drift.

Safira. The name really did suit her. Such dazzling sapphire eyes. Sapphire eyes that had captivated him from the very beginning, drawing him to her bedside for eight weeks. For some reason it hurt him that she may not remember him coming to see her. She had been asleep for most of his visits but when she started to get better, he had shied away.

He wasn't the type of person to shy away. Why did it bother him that she may not remember his visits? And why did it bother him to have her know he was there?

Why had he even gone in the first place?

Why was he staying up all night, digging for information that led him nowhere?

Kyouya did not understand his own actions. He was acting very much unlike himself. He didn't like it.

_I must cut all ties to her_, he thought firmly to himself. _Yes. That's it. I must never see her or be near her. Now that she's better I can stop visiting. I can stop worrying that no one will come for her. Someone has got to come get her eventually, right? Surely, someone was missing her._

He had been so immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized that Haruhi was no longer moving. He bumped into her back, the back of her head hitting into his chest. He gasped, slightly shocked.

"What the – Haruhi –"

"_Shhhh_!"

"Huh?"

Kyouya squinted over Haruhi's head, surprised to see Tamaki, Mori, Honey and the twins with their backs pressed against the wall outside of a hospital room, fingers pressed against their lips to silence him. The looks on their faces suggested that they were trying to overhear something intently.

Blinking, he turned his head towards the room number outside the door, straining his eyes to read the numbers. They came in unruly silver blurs but there was no mistaking it.

This was room four hundred and seventeen.

Safira's room…

He released Haruhi's shoulder, placing his hand on his hip and staring at the club blankly. "Why are we here?"

"Shh! Just listen!" Tamaki whispered furiously. The blonde looked as if he were trying to become one with the wall, his blue eyes attempting to stare through the open doorway. The twins seemed to be straining their ears from against the other side of the entrance with Honey and Mori behind them. Honey had his hand cupped around his ear, still atop of Mori's shoulders. Mori seemed mildly interested.

"We ought to just listen. They're not gonna leave until they finish listening anyway." Haruhi mumbled as she crossed over to Tamaki, leaning her body towards the doorway so that she could eavesdrop.

Kyouya sighed. This was completely ludicrous. He just wanted to order his new glasses. Was that so much to ask?

And yet… he was curious. Some sort of dark creature was biting at his insides, screaming at him to take part in this child's play. What sort of creature was this? It must have been a dragon. No other creature would even dare to entice him. He must slay this creature – or else tame it – or better yet – _ignore it_.

"This is stupid. I'm leaving." Kyouya grumbled, obviously irate. He had just turned to walk away, trying to think of some sort of strategy for him to travel across the hospital corridors without bumping into anything when –

"I can't pay this," came Safira's voice. "There's no way. I had no money in my pockets when I was found."

Kyouya turned his eyebrows slightly raised.

The dragon started clawing at his mind. Kyouya twitched unpleasantly.

_Liisstteenn. Lissstten to the giiirrll. You know you want too~! _Said some sort of strange voice in the back of his head that did not belong to him. Kyouya couldn't help but glare at whatever was ahead of him, already angry at this monster.

_Shut up. I just want my glasses. That's all I want._

_You can always get them afterwards…_

His glare grew increasingly so. He didn't even realize what he was glaring at. All he knew is that he could feel his eyes burning straight through whatever it was.

_No, I can't. I am incapable without my vision._

_Ah,_ came the sweet alluring tone of the dragon. _But you don't need your vision to overhear a conversation, now do you_?

Damn it. The dragon was right. And it only increased his curiosity. His glare became a million silver daggers.

"If you don't pay these bills then we'll have to freeze your bank account…" said a male voice with obvious authority. "Since we don't know who you are, then that's obviously impossible. But if we ever _do _find out who you are then…"

Kyouya finally gave. Pretending like he had not just sparred with an imaginary dragon in the back of his mind, The Hypotensive Demon Lord approached Tamaki and Haruhi, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, attempting not to look concerned or inquiring.

He raised a questioning eyebrow at Haruhi before turning his attention back to the voices.

For some reason she had flinched when he came to stand by her and Tamaki.

~:*:~

The whole time Kyouya was standing back there he had been glaring at Haruhi.

Haruhi jumped from underneath his shadowy gaze, her heart rising in fear from underneath his dangerous gray eyes. She could feel herself starting to sweat, eyes wide in a sort of horrified stare.

_What? Did I do something? I didn't mean to have him bump into me. Oh, no. Oh, _please_ no. He's really going to triple my debt! I bet he's even thinking of quadrupling it!_

Haruhi silently screamed inside her head. He was still glaring. Glaring with the intent to kill. Haruhi felt as if her soul was being absorbed by some sort of evil being. She looked around- maybe he wasn't glaring at her – maybe he was looking at Tamaki.

But no. His eyes were directly onto her. He really was out to get her!

_What? Am I supposed to go over by him? Am I supposed to tell these guys to stop being idiots and leave this alone so that Kyouya-senpai can get his glasses? Is he really that mad at me? It wasn't my fault Tamaki tripped over a pinecone! It's not my fault that we're here – well – I suggested it but – I didn't ask these morons to sit here and listen to this girl's conversation!_

Haruhi felt her nerves jump when Kyouya's glare increased by one hundred times worse. It seemed as though he were wishing for her to drop dead from below his stare. Haruhi gulped.

Her mind was going in overdrive. What was happening? What did Kyouya want?!

_FORTHELOVEOFPETEWHATDIDIDO?!_

Just then Kyouya's face was wiped clean of anger but he still looked a little irritated. As if coming over here and attempting to overhear this girl's conversation was the only choice he had in the whole world. And something else. Was it… curiosity?

He turned his eyes away from her, making himself comfortable against the wall. But Haruhi's fear was still intact causing her to flinch horribly as he came near as if he had the intent to burn her. He sent her a strange look before turning his attention to the open doorway.

Haruhi felt her jaw give a slight tweak.

_What the heck was that about_?

~:*:~

a/n: And to clarify Mea was in a little wooden coffin. Cause I'm mean. :D On a happier note I'm almost done with my picture of Kyouya and Safira. ^^d All I need to do is color it. Then yay~!

And to clarify about 'the dragon' it's basically just Kyouya talking to himself. Just think of a time when your sitting there and you're like 'Oh, I really shouldn't do this' and a voice tells you otherwise. It's kind of like that. Like a little shoulder demon or something. Or I guess it could be more of a shoulder angel since it's not telling him to do anything bad lol. He's just calling it a dragon. =] Maybe I'll give him a name.

Fred the dragon.

Hahah.

No… I kid, I kid. =D


	8. Someone to Claim

a/n: Thanks again PurpleSkye for proofreading! :D

~:*:~

**Chapter 8: Someone to Claim**

~:*:~

Several moments before the Host Club began listening outside Safira's door.

"_Huuuuuuuuuuuuuh_?!"

Safira stared down at the enormously large bill in her hand. Her eyes were so wide that they practically looked as if they were going to bulge out of her skull. She brought the bill closer to her face as if she had read it wrong, her eyebrows furrowing in horror.

"H-how – I – how –"

"Well since we don't know your true identity we can't know for sure if you have insurance," Sasaki said with an apologetic smile. She truly did look sorry. "That means you would have to pay out of your pocket for staying here. Meals and extra care are billed separately."

Safira stared in shock as the nurse dumped extra bills for food and hospital care onto her lap. Safira had stayed here for eight weeks. How long was that? Was that over a month? It had to be. That had to be practically almost two months, right? Oh, God. Why hadn't she thought of how expensive hospital expenses would be? She had been too busy recovering to care about such things. And now, here she was, practically fully healed and without money.

"I can't pay this." Safira finally choked. "There's no way. I had no money in my pockets when I was found."

Safira didn't even think that she had, _had_ pockets. When Kyouya and Tamaki found her she was in nothing but a little white dress. She had no items on her, aside from her best friend's necklace. No cell phone. No license. Nothing of use.

Her eyebrows furrowed.

Why would she even wear such a dress out in the rain? Had she been someone without common sense? Most people would wear a jacket or at least bring an umbrella. Was she some kind of street whore or something?

Sasaki-san sighed softly. She leafed through some papers on her clipboard, eyes swiftly moving across the paper. After a few moments, Sasaki-san looked up at her, her expression showing the deepest amount of sympathy that a person could possibly ever muster. Her eyes sifted toward Safira's doctor, Dr. Taylor.

"If you don't pay these bills then we'll have to freeze your bank account. Since we don't know who you are, then that's obviously impossible." Dr. Taylor informed her without faltering. "But if we ever _do _find out who you are then your credit will be ruined. If you still can't pay then the hospital will probably take you to court and force you to give them the money."

Safira was aghast. She felt her jaw drop as shock ran through her veins.

"B-but that's impossible! How can they force me to give them money when I don't even have it?"

Sasaki shook her head. "I'm sorry, Safira. In most circumstances the hospital may have given you a loan. But since we have no information on you, we can't look into your credit to see if you can even qualify."

Safira felt as if all the air had been knocked out of her.

It would probably take a whole year to pay this hospital back. They were sure to take her to court by then.

"Isn't there anything else I can do?" Safira squeaked. "Anything at all?"

"I'm sorry," Dr. Taylor began. "But I –"

"There will be no need to trouble Safira about the hospital bills, Dr. Taylor and Misses Sasaki."

Safira and Sasaki both jumped at the voice. Dr. Taylor didn't look surprised in the slightest but he did look curious. The two girls looked at each other and slowly turned to face the open hospital door. There stood the entire host club, Tamaki leaning on his crutches in the middle beside Kyouya and the rest of their fellow members surrounding them.

Safira stared, eyes large. What were they still doing here? Honey and Mori had left for more sweets just little over fifteen minutes ago. Tamaki had gone with them and she had thought that everybody else had already left. She felt her fingers tighten slightly around the medical bills.

"Wh-what do you –"

"Ah, my little flower do not be distressed! You do not need to worry yourself any longer – The Host Club has come to your financial rescue!" Tamaki cried throwing a hand up in the air to look heroic, only to almost fall on his face for letting go of one of his crutches. Luckily, Kyouya had robotically grabbed Tamaki by the back of his shirt pulling him back up to a stand, easily.

_Again with this Host Club. This is not the first time I've heard these guys mention it. What is it exactly, anyway?_

Tamaki cleared his throat. "Ahem. Right. Thank you, Kyouya. Now as I was saying…" A confident gleam seemed to have appeared within Tamaki's eyes. "This Princess shall not have to endure the labors of payment any longer!"

The nurse appeared to be flabbergasted. Safira couldn't decide if it was because she thought Tamaki to be handsome or if it was because of his bold statements and declarations. She assumed that it was both. The doctor, however, looked utterly stricken.

"How can you say that?" Dr. Taylor inquired stunned by Tamaki's bold proclamation. "What authority do you have to make such –"

"It is not him with the authority, doctor. It is I." Kyouya smiled his practiced Host Club smile, appearing quite pleased. It looked as if he were discussing about school or food rather than the questioning of Safira's payment. "As the third son of the Ootori group, I can assure you that the Ootori family will pay for full coverage of this girl's needs. And furthermore, I think it would be wise that you release her from this hospital soon. She seems to be at full recovery. Besides…"

A dark sort of look seemed to have fallen over Kyouya's face. He was still smiling but there was something about him that made him almost seem – evil.

"… the sooner she is released then the sooner she can get a job. Then that means she will be able to steadily repay the Ootori family back."

"Wh-what? But – I'm sorry." Dr. Taylor began. "I can't release her, even if you are Ootori's third son. The hospital doesn't know her real identity. What if she leaves and someone she knows finally comes for her? Or what if we discover who she is? She won't be here for that. We can't let her leave without knowing her identity. Plus the hospital could get into a lot of trouble."

"The Ootori family is fully aware of our hospital's policy," Kyouya replied with a false cheery smile. "If something like that were to occur then you would call the Ootori family. We will be sure to inform her and bring her back here to meet her family or gather the correct information. If there is a complaint from her family or even a friend, then the Ootori family will deal with it."

Safira sucked in a much-needed breath.

Kyouya smiled nicely. "So. Is she well enough to be released?"

The doctor shifted, and Safira noticed that a faint sign of anxiety and even fear ran across his face. The girl blinked. Why would he react that way?

"No. Absolutely not. I cannot allow it."

Sasaki-san hesitated. "B-but doctor. Please, reconsider –"

"I don't see why not." Kaoru interjected, a sly smile turning upwards at the corners of his lips. His twin mirrored the expression. "We were with her for most of the afternoon. She was walking around in the garden just fine."

"Yeah, and she showed us how to get to the emergency entrance." Hikaru threw in, eyes gleaming like a fox. "I don't see what the hold up is. If she's recovered then there's no reason to keep her here."

Dr. Taylor hesitated. His face moved between the twins as they talked, growing paler and paler by the second.

"No. I can't let her."

Safira finally decided to butt in. She had been sitting on the hospital bed, feet dangling off the side. She leaned her upper body forward, her hand unconsciously grasping around her Best Friend's necklace. Her expression was desperate.

"Please, Dr. Taylor. Please let me go." Safira implored. "I have been here for eight weeks. For eight weeks I have heard nothing but the sound of hospital machinery and learned the names of other nurses and doctors. Yes, I have lost my former memories but I have not lost the ability to gain new ones. My bruises are nearly healed and I don't have any more broken bones. You've helped me to regain my strength. I feel better. I know that I am healthy. I want to leave. I want to leave so I can find out who I am. I need to know. Sitting in a hospital bed isn't going to help me figure that out."

Dr. Taylor hesitated. He placed a hand against her shoulder but his grip was tight, so tight that Safira winced. "I don't know if you are strong enough. You still might be weak. You can't go. You need rest. You need sleep. What if someone comes for you?"

An emotion Safira did not recognize snapped within her. It was something unpleasant. The emotion fed on every cell, her heart beat slightly raising. She could feel her jaw clench tightly and her eyes spark with something foreign to her.

Anger.

This was anger.

She had not felt it since she had came here. But now… now she remembered.

"No one has come." She said in a low furious whisper. "No one has come for me. It has been… it has been eight weeks. Eight weeks and I haven't heard from a single person. Not one." Safira was barely aware that her voice was starting to tremble. "N-no one has come for me. I'm all on my own. And I'm – I'm scared." She lifted her eyes back onto Dr. Taylor. She could feel a strange moisture from behind them but she wasn't sure why. Something wet streaked down her cheek. "I – I haven't heard from anyone! No one – no one except them!" She pointed at the Host Club, her chest rising and falling. "They are the only ones who have come for me! They – they care about me! I don't even know them – and – and they _care_. Kyouya's been here for eight weeks! Eight weeks watching me. Even though I don't say anything he's… he's been here… They… they care. I just met them. I just met them but they _care_. And that's saying something. Because if my family is out there, if my _real_ family is out there somewhere then they mustn't care too much about me. I would much rather find them myself than wait for people who might not even come. Who might not even be… alive."

She cringed just to think of that possibility. She had been in an accident after all – what if her family had gotten hurt?

"Safira," Dr. Taylor said, using the name the girl had begun to refer herself as. "You can't leave. You need me. I helped you. I can still help you. If you stay then I'm sure someone will come around to get you. But you can't leave – not now."

Kyouya squared his shoulders. The doctor's behavior was strange. Possessive even. Did Safira mean that much to him as a patient? Was he really afraid of what would happen to the hospitals reputation and to Safira?

Or was he afraid of what she might find out if she left?

Safira shook her head. She also sensed onto Dr. Taylor's strange behavior and moved a few inches away from him. She could still feel the liquid running from her eyes.

"Don't you see? Someone has already come for me." She wasn't feeling exactly angry or sad anymore. Determined was more of the feeling. "They've come for me. These kind people have come to help me. And I want to come with them. I think… that they can help."

"Safira," the doctor scolded, addressing her as though she were a child. "It is not wise. You just met these people. How can you know that they can be trusted?"

Safira had opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by an unexpected person. Her eyes shifted and widened toward Sasaki, who was clutching her clipboard to her chest and her cheeks filled with a rosy color. The nurse's eyes were unwavering.

"With all due respect, Dr. Taylor, but the hospital knows the Ootori family very well." She began, more heat flooding into her face. "Yoshio Ootori runs this hospital and a chain of many others. If it were just a band of random people then I would strongly decline Safira leaving with them. But this is the son of Yoshio Ootori. And… and since we are with strong ties with his father, I feel safe handing her over to them. The Ootori group would take good care of her and if she needs extra medical attention, they would know just what to do."

Kyouya felt something twitch in his face.

_Take care of her_? He had only suggested that she would be able to _leave_. Not come live with him for crying out loud!

"For now there is no one safer. It is obvious that staying in this hospital is only making her feel worn out. Please. She has no other reason for staying other than the chance that someone might come for her. But no one has… except for these people. We've been waiting for someone to claim her. Well. Here they are - Safira's new adoptive family." Sasaki concluded, nodding her head in approval.

Safira stared at Sasaki in absolute disbelief. Emotions bombarded her chest, washing over her like wave. For some reason, moisture stared building up in her eyes again. She rubbed at her eyes the back of her sleeve, unsure of what was happening to her.

Dr. Taylor looked as if he had just taken a soccer ball to his gut. He was slightly breathless, his eyes suddenly appearing to be exhausted. He ran a hand through his graying brown hair, eyes staring at the ground in defeat. He sighed tiredly.

"Fine. If she is going to live with the owner of this hospital then I see no reason why not." He practically growled out the words, eyes slowly shifting over to Safira. "But you are only allowed to stay with the Ootori's. Do I make myself clear? If I find out that you're living on your own or with somebody else, then my career will be at stake. Do you understand?"

Safira felt her stomach give a large swoop. Her body started to tremor with a mixture of happiness and excitement. Warmth flooded in her chest and eyes, as she practically leapt off the hospital bed and onto Sasaki, wrapping her arms around her tightly as if she had been the one to release her.

"Thank you so much!"

Sasaki tried to smile but it seemed as though she was in pain. How was it that such a small girl contained such strength? Any moment now, it would seem that Safira might crush her spine.

~:*:~

Kyouya Ootori was staring ahead in complete shock.

This was not how he had seen things going.

It had started with overhearing their conversation. They overheard what was being said and Tamaki and the twins had come to the conclusion that they must do something to help. And so, simply following Tamaki's lead he had opened his mouth and put in a few words.

And now… now some complete stranger was coming in to live with him? Some girl who he had barely spoken to for eight weeks was going to live with him? The same girl who he knew absolutely nothing about? _That one?_

_Well, yeah,_ said the dragon._ What other girl do you see here –? Ignore Haruhi and the nurse. They don't count_.

_Shut up_. Kyouya screamed inside his head. _You're the one who got me into this mess, you stupid _thing!

_It's called curiosity. And it happens to be a very common trait in most people. You've just been a Demon Lord for too long to even realize that you contained such a characteristic._

_Shut up._

"Well, well Demon Lord," the twins said in perfect unison, crossing their arms across their chests in a smug fashion.

"Looks like you've got a little kitten that's going to be living with you." Kaoru sneered.

"How sweet," Hikaru teased.

"Maybe she'll melt the ice around your hypotensive heart."

"Wouldn't that be the cutest?" They taunted together in fake motherly tones, laughing.

Kyouya tried to look indifferent. He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair and sending them a scowl. "The event of that ever happening is very unlikely." He stated blandly. "And my heart is not surrounded by ice."

"Don't refer to my niece as a kitten!" Tamaki growled. "I refuse to have you uncivilized twins ravage and call her perverted pet names!"

"That's not perverted." Hikaru interposed.

"Yeah, boss. Your head's just in the gutter." Kaoru said with a shrug.

"It's a little disturbing, really. Thinking of your niece that way…" They said with a shake of their heads.

"Stop putting words into my mouth you untamed duo!" Tamaki snapped, waving one of his crutches at their chests. "I never said or thought anything of the sorts!"

Haruhi stared at the twins and Tamaki, deadpanned.

"Wait. If Tamaki refers to himself as Daddy and Kyouya as Mommy then wouldn't Safira be considered his daughter too?" She asked slowly.

"You would think." Mori stated.

"Aaaaw. This is confusing." Honey-senpai whined, cradling his fluffy blonde head. "Let's just forget about it and go eat some cake!"

"Yeah." Mori said, poker-faced.

Kyouya turned his attention back onto the girl. She was still hugging onto Sasaki, smiling and laughing like a little child.

What was his father going to say when he brought a girl into his house?

"Um. Kyouya."

Kyouya turned to Tamaki, still attempting to look expressionless. "Yes…?"

The blonde tapped his two pointer fingers together, balancing the crutches by the use of only his arms. Tamaki stared with his big large violet eyes, already starting to grow shiny and watery with fake tears of hopelessness. Kyouya blinked.

"What?" He pressed, already growing impatient.

"Well… I am… a little… hungry." Tamaki said, wiggling slightly within his crutches. "We missed lunch at school by now. What'd you say we go out to eat? All of us?"

Kyouya stared at him for a few brief moments before letting out a small sigh, cupping his face in one of his hands.

In truth, he didn't realize that he was hungry until Tamaki pointed out that they had missed lunch. The twins were now staring at him with a starved expression on their faces, eyes large and intent, despite the fact that they had eaten a year's supply of beef jerky. Honey was practically drooling at the thought of cake, his head tilted upwards in a fabulous daydream. Mori didn't express much but his stomach did give a small growl. Haruhi didn't look hungry in the slightest, staring at all of them like they were a bunch of aliens.

And Safira… well… she was still hugging Sasaki. And now it looked like that she might be dancing in the background.

"Why is all the decision making up to me?" Kyouya asked bitterly, crossing his arms.

"Because you're the Mommy!"

"Ugh." Kyouya rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll call a cab."

"YAY!" All the Host Club (minus Mori and Haruhi) cheered.

"Oui! Safira!" The twins hollered together. "Go pack your stuff, pronto! We're going out to eat!"

Safira instantly stopped twirling and spinning Sasaki, her eyes suddenly large with alarm. The nurse looked joyful but very dizzy, her head swaying slightly. "O-oh. Ok, then. Thank you very much. Just a minute."

The blonde-headed girl ran towards her bed, collecting her little amount of supplies.

"Well you guys have fun. You can count me out. I'm going back to school." Haruhi stated unsmiling. She stared towards the door but Tamaki stopped her by thrusting out one of his crutches out in front of her, giving her his adorable puppy eyes.

"B-but Haruuuhiii," Tamaki whined. "We have to go together! It's like a family reunion with the presence of your long lost cousin!"

Haruhi didn't look move in the slightest. "Yeah, I get that. But school is just really important. I have a goal to meet Senpai. I can't just let all my hard scholarship work be flung out the window to go play hooky like this."

Hikaru and Karou appeared in a flash, both mirroring identical wicked grins. "Don't look at it in that glum perspective, Haruhi. You know that you want to come."

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm not even hungry." Haruhi stated deadpan.

"Ah. But we're not going just anywhere." Hikaru said with a sinful smirk. "We're going to a buffet."

Kyouya blinked. _Since when did they tell me that we were going to a buffet?_

"Yeah, so?"

"Sooooo," the twins overstressed. "That means that there will be a _lot_ of seafood."

"And that means that the chances of fancy tuna being there is very, very high." Kaoru said evilly.

"You don't want to miss your chance on that, do you?" Hikaru snickered.

_And apparently… a very expensive buffet. _Kyouya thought cynically.

Lightning seemed to have struck Haruhi. Her eyes suddenly grew wide. Her mouth was positioned in a large 'O', her arms hanging loosely to her sides and the rest of her body had turned into stone. Hikaru poked her, afraid that her heart may have stopped.

"Um. Haruhi –"

"Well let's go guys. I'm starving!" Haruhi said with a large laugh, turning around swiftly to exit the room. "C'mon guys! We want to get there before the crowd does!"

"Yaaayy! Buffet! Buffet!" Honey sang, throwing his arms up in the air like a cheerleader. "That means that there will be plenty of sweets for me and Usa-chan! Yaay!"

"Yeah." said Mori.

Kyouya sighed, feeling utterly overpowered.

_All I wanted was my glasses_. He slowly turned over towards Safira, appearing slightly interested as she searched for her belongings.

But there was some fulfillment in today's events.

At least he knew that Safira remembered his visits, even though she had been asleep.

For some reason that made Kyouya feel surprisingly… good.

~:*:~

a/n: Review! Review! Review! :D

Aw. I want to go to a buffet now. -____-

And I realize that this would probably _never_ happen in real life. I'm sure that they would probably make you stay in the hospital until someone came for you or until they knew you're ID. But this is a fanfiction. So that means that I have the power to bend reality! Mwahahaha! :D

SAFIRA GETS TO LIVE WITH KYOUYA! T___T Lucky tramp. *punches Safira*

Safira: O-o It's not my fault you wrote it.

Me: ……. Shut up.


	9. Buffet! Buffet! Buffet!

a/n: Thanks for all the reviews and to those who favored my story and put me on alerts. ^^ That makes me feel very happy lol :D Thank you! And I added a tiny thing in chapter 7. It's only two sentences from Mea but still important. It's after the part where she imagines her wedding. I forgot to add it lol. ^^;

Please keep reviewing everyone. It's important to me to know what you think. =]

Sorry for the absence of Creepy-Killer-chan in this chapter. But don't worry. He'll be in the next one! Right now he's probably plotting evilly in his chair in the dark and rubbing his hands together as he thinks of his next evil scheme…. weirdo.

Thanks again to Beta PurpleSkye. =D

~:*:~

**Chapter 9: Buffet! Buffet! Buffet!**

~:*:~

It was the most beautiful thing Safira had ever seen.

So many towers of sparkling dishes and silverware. Food from probably every continent in the world was spread out among large fine tables. Chefs were busying themselves in the back and some even right out in front of you, cooking whatever it was to your liking. This place seemed very crowded but the restaurant itself was big, giving them a lot of space. Elegant and beautiful chandeliers hung from above, casting their light among the area. The dinner tables were of decent size with a pretty white table cloth thrown over them. The floor was wooden but had gigantic throw rugs with beautiful designs etched into them, trailing all the way from one end of the restaurant and back.

But what Safira thought to be the most beautiful was a wall all the way at the north side. There was a large window that took up half the wall's space with light pouring in from it. Stunning designs were etched into the surrounding wall making it appear as though angels had carved it rather than human beings. It was almost impossible to describe.

Haruhi and Safira shared the same expression of shock and stupidity; both of their mouths slightly agape and eyes larger than tennis balls.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me!" Haruhi practically yelped.

"Food… so much… food." Safira almost seemed to daze off staring at the delicious looking dessert bar. It was enormous, reminding Safira of a real life Candy Land. She squinted at it to make sure she was seeing it properly. "Is that a –"

"IT'S A CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN!" Honey-senpai screamed from Mori's shoulders, waving his arms in the air in a frantic excitement. "I can't believe it – TAKASHI! THAT IS OUR FIRST DESTINATION!"

"Yes."

"LET US GO!"

Honey leapt off of Mori's shoulders and ran to the dessert bar appearing to be in a frenzy. Mori walked casually after him appearing to be a soulless void. Tamaki smiled, waving a little orange ticket in the air with their receipt stapled to it. The number '8' was written in pen over the ticket.

"Well I'm sure that they'll be able to find our table," Tamaki said with a cheerful smile, placing the ticket directly in the middle of one of the tables. "Hikaru, Karou. Would you move this table over?"

"Right-o, boss."

With an almost effortless grace the twins brought a second table over to the one Tamaki had placed his ticket on. There were only four seats to a table so it was necessary to combine them.

"Senpai, is it really alright for us to be here?" Haruhi inquired innocently.

Tamaki turned, eyebrows slightly raised. "Of course it is. We paid for it. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well… because," Haruhi said slowly. "Everyone is dressed so formal. We're still in our gym clothes. I bet most of the people here think that we look pretty ridiculous."

Safira blinked. She hadn't thought of that. The boys (including Haruhi) were still in their gym clothes because Tamaki had broken his ankle during gym class, so they didn't have time to change. They stood out like a sore thumb.

Safira dreaded to think of what would happen if she had to leave the hospital in those cup cake pajamas. Then they would really get some stares. Sasaki-san had been nice enough to allow Safira to keep the pajamas and some of the other clothes she let her borrow.

The shirt was a little bit too big for her so it slightly rolled off her shoulders. It was a white t-shirt with neon brush strokes running up, down and across it. The jeans were also a little too big so she had to hold them up with a belt but surprisingly; the shoes were too tight at the heels. She was sure that she would have blisters there by the next morning.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that," Kyouya said. "You see, the words on our jerseys are big flags for everyone here. They can obviously see that we are from Ouran Academy. That is a very well known school for our class. It would be strange if they were to look down upon us, considering that we come from high ranking families. So in reality, the only one who really stands out is Safira."

That really seemed to hit Safira like a ton of bricks. "Huh?" She turned around only to find that thousands of rich people kept glancing her way, trying not to make it appear obvious. Safira felt her jaw give a slight twitch. "Oh… great…" She felt herself sweat drop.

"Don't let their stares bother you, my sweet. For you are in the presence of beautiful Ouran Host Club men!" Tamaki practically sang, throwing his arms out in the air. Glitter seemed to have magically appeared around his figure, smiling as brightly as the sun. "If they stare, it is only because they are jealous to see you with such refined and handsome young gentlemen."

Again with this Host Club - what the heck was a Host Club? Safira had finally been about to open her mouth to ask when Honey came zooming by her so fast that she almost fell backwards. She looked around for him, confused as to where he went, only to find that Honey was already sitting down with three plates overflowing with sweets.

"There are so many yummy things here! It's like heaven, right Takashi?"

"Ah." Mori stated his usual vocabulary. Unlike Honey he only had a small bowel in front of him filled with what appeared to be fermented natto soybeans. He was eating it with chopsticks and didn't appear to be interested in anything else around him.

Tamaki sat down with a small little 'plop'. "Well then my fellow subjects. I suggest that you all go make yourself useful and serve your king!"

Kaoru and Hikaru both raised their eyebrows. "What'd you mean?"

"I've just severely damaged my ankle. I can't carry a plate and use my crutches at the same time! The thought alone is completely barbaric! So go ahead. Serve me my meal." Tamaki said patting the empty space in front of him with expectancy. "I expect to see a full meal laid out in front of me in a matter of seconds."

"Forget it." The twins said together. "Go get your own food. We're hungry!" And with that they left Tamaki to himself, gaping after them with his arm outstretched and body drained of all color.

However, Tamaki quickly turned his attention to the remainder of his group: Kyouya, Haruhi and Safira. Sniffling, he turned to give them the largest puppy dog eyes he could ever muster. Kyouya stared. Haruhi winced. And Safira blinked.

"Those are his eyes," Haruhi grumbled. "Puppy dog eyes…"

Tamaki looked away appearing like a distressed man caught in the rain. He lowered his head, bangs veiling his sure to be distraught expression. Slowly he started to draw tiny little circles with his index finger against the table, pouting. Then terribly slowly he turned his head to face him, eyes shining with the glow of sad adorable puppy-likeness. Tamaki tossed his gaze away from them dramatically. He then repeated the exact same process. Puppy eyes. Turning away. Drawing figures on the table. Puppy eyes.

Haruhi finally gave before Kyouya or Safira could even open their mouths. Haruhi stomped her foot against the floor like an angry child, throwing her arms up in the air in defeat.

"Fine! Whatever! I'll go get your stupid food!" Haruhi roared, causing a lot of people to suddenly look their way.

Tamaki's face instantly brightened tears of joy now filling within his eyes.

"Oh, Haruhi. Would you mind getting me some food as well?" Kyouya inquired smoothly taking his seat. "As you know it's very hard for me to navigate through crowds without my glasses. You understand, right?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, grumbling something that sounded like _rich bastards_ underneath her breath.

"Fine," she huffed.

"Harruuuhii! That's so kind of yooouuu!" Tamaki squealed. "Getting food for Daddy and Mommy! What a sweet wittle girl!"

"I'm not doing it to be nice. I'm doing it so I can get to the sushi bar faster." Haruhi snapped before disappearing within the crowd, zigzagging her way towards the amazingly large sushi bar. There seemed to be stars in the young commoner's eyes and a dreamy smile replaced her earlier irritated face.

Tamaki stared after her, dumbstruck. Safira jumped when the young man suddenly began to disintegrate within his chair, concern etched between her eyebrows.

"W-what the –"

"Don't worry about it," Kyouya sighed. "This is a common thing for Tamaki." He turned his head at an angle so that he could see Safira, shooing her with his hand as if she were a dog. "Now go on. Get a move on. We didn't pay for you to just stand there."

Safira felt a strange rush of heat creep up into her cheeks. Feeling a little embarrassed, Safira rolled a small duffle bag off her right shoulder and tucked it underneath a random chair at the table. The bag contained all of the clothes that Sasaki-san let her take.

She quickly followed Haruhi, her eyes scanning this place uneasily.

Safira had absolutely no memory of what she liked or disliked when it came to food. The hospital could only provide so much and she was almost positive that she hadn't seen anything like _this_ there.

Astounded by the beautiful gourmet, Safira began pilling everything in sight onto her plate. She wasn't even sure what half of it was, only that it looked delicious and that she was willing to try it. By the time she made it back to the table everyone else was already seated and had started eating and Honey was on his fifth plate of sweets. Safira took her seat between Kyouya and Honey, resting her mountain of food onto the elegant table.

The seating arrangements seemed predictable enough. Tamaki and Kyouya were sitting across from each other, both on the outside. Haruhi was between Tamaki and Hikaru, with Kaoru loyally at his other side. Mori and Honey were seated across from the twins and Safira was between Honey and Kyouya.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow at Safira's plate.

"Have enough, do ya?" He teased, waving his fork at her stack. "Jeesh. Do you even know what half of it is?"

Safira shrugged rather bashfully. "To be honest, not really. I guess that's why I got it."

"I'm so sorry Haruhi," Tamaki sniffled. "I-I didn't know that they would be out of fancy tuna!"

Haruhi sighed. "It's not that big of a deal. But I am a little disappointed to not be able to try it. Everything else tastes awesome though Senpai, so don't feel bad. I'm glad that I get to come here at all." And with that she popped a sushi roll into her mouth. A wistful expression fell over Haruhi's features, looking as though she had just taken a small bite out of heaven. Needless to say, Tamaki was pleased.

Safira studied her plate, appearing unsure of what to try first. There seemed to be so much. Finally, she decided on the sushi since Haruhi seemed to have enjoyed it so much. She decided that it was fairly good, her eyes lighting up at the taste. Though when she tried the potsitcker she immediately realized that she wasn't very fond of it, pushing the rest of it aside with her chopsticks and picking up what appeared to be ravioli. It wasn't long before Safira had a list of what she liked and disliked.

Firstly, anything spicy went immediately out the door. She didn't understand how something that was potentially painful to your mouth and throat could possibly be served as a meal. But Kyouya and the twins seemed to like that kind of food because they were eating a lot of it.

She enjoyed most Japanese and Chinese food, minus the Chinese potsickers and Japanese pike eel. She was fonder of Alfredo sauce than red sauce when it came to Italian food but she did enjoy pizza. She liked fruit but decided that raspberries and strawberries were her favorite. Sweets were excellent in her eyes as well but quickly realized that too much made her feel sick. Vegetables were ok but definitely not her favorite. She extremely disliked broccoli and celery. Cheese was only good if it was melted or shredded on top of something. She didn't like any kind of fish unless it was in sushi and preferred chicken over steak. Safira discovered that she didn't like pop very much and favored water or tea. Coffee didn't suit her tastes very well either. It left a bitter taste in her mouth and she almost ended up spitting it out. However, she politely placed the cup to the side and got up and came back with a banana smoothie that she took great pleasure in.

By the time she was done experimenting with almost everything in the buffet, Safira thought that she everyone was going to have to literally roll her out of the restaurant.

"Ugh… I think I'm gonna die." Safira moaned, resting her head against the tabletop. "Tummy… pain… ow…"

"Me too," Haruhi groaned, who seemed to have repeated the same gluttonous behavior she had shown at the beach so long ago. Again it seemed that Haruhi had filled herself up with sea food, only this time she had devoured far more than just crab legs. "So full. Full. Full. Full."

Kyouya sighed courteously dabbing at his mouth with a napkin. "That's what you both get for eating everything in sight."

"But… but it was yummy," Safira whined, glancing up at him curiously. "Besides now I know the things I like and dislike. This was a very helpful experiment."

Kyouya snorted, placing his napkin down. For some reason he seemed to be avoiding looking at her. Safira didn't really understand why though. Was he angry at her? Safira sat up, peering at him oddly.

Had her eating so much offended him or something?

"Hey, Fire-chan!" Honey said poking her gently with his fork. "Are you gonna eat the rest of your ice cream sundae?"

"Uhh…" Safira glanced at the remainder of her ice cream. She hadn't eaten a lot of it because she had gotten so full but it was strawberry flavored ice cream inside an elegant looking glass cup, topped with real strawberries, marshmallows and whipped cream. "Nah. Knock yourself out." She replied lazily.

"Yay!" Honey sang as he dragged the cup towards him, already beginning to consume it.

Safira stared at Honey in astonishment. Was this kid's stomach a bottomless pit?

"Safira, I think it's time that we get going." Kyouya said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned towards Kyouya realizing that he was squinting to read the hands on his watch. "I want to be able to call and place an order for a new pair of glasses before my family's eye doctor closes his store for today."

"Oh, ok." Safira said with a slight nod. She turned to the other Host Club members, smiling. "Thank you so much. For everything. Really. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you please, don't hesitate to ask me."

The twins exchanged dual impish grins.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that Safira-san."

"Yeah," Hikaru snickered. "We'll be sure to come up with _something_."

Safira swallowed. For some reason she didn't like the sound of that.

~:*:~

_a/n: If no one remembers, Daichi is Shugo's cellmate. I talked about him in chapter 6. =]_

"What did you do?"

Shugo stared at Daichi blankly. The boy had been sitting on the bottom bunk, curled as close to the wall as he could get. He raised an eyebrow, staring at Daichi as if he had just spoken Polish.

"Excuse me?"

"You know," Daichi said crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned against the metal bars and swiftly wiped his greasy red hair from out of his eyes. "What did you do to get in here? You never said."

Shugo took in a low rattling breath. He turned away, bottom lip curling into his mouth as if he had just tasted something sour. When he finally spoke it came in a low soft murmur, eyes locked onto something on the concrete floor.

"They think that I murdered my family."

Daichi raised his eyebrows. "No shit, huh?" He laughed blackly. "I had taken you up for some kid robbing a liquor store or something."

Shugo cast Daichi a dirty look before directing his eyes back onto the ground.

This was not something he was very keen on discussing. But Daichi didn't seem to catch onto that.

"How long until your trial?" Daichi pressed.

Shugo sighed, bitter. "Six more months."

Six months until his pending trail. It was almost too much to bear. In six months they would give Shugo his real sentence. Right now, he had been charged with first degree murder. That meant that he was stuck in jail for whatever amount of months until his trail. People who were suspected of murder were usually always kept in jail until their trail.

The baby killer let out a low whistle. "Wow-wee. Six whole months in here, eh?" He chuckled. "That'll kill ya, huh?"

Shugo raised his brows upward, staring directly into Daichi's own. This was the first time Shugo had looked directly at the man. The first time he had ever locked eyes with a baby killer. There were differences between their eyes. Daichi's resembled two endless black tunnels, glinting with sadistic humor. They were hard. Penetrating. They seemed to cut through Shugo's skin and sever his insides. The story of a madman, a murderer, flashed within those black eyes.

Shugo's weren't hard but they were not soft either. They were cautious and guarded. His jaw locked and his gaze remained strong, refusing to be shaken by this man.

"I don't think so," Shugo replied coolly.

Daichi was the first to break the connection. He snorted, shuffling his feet. When he glanced back up at Shugo he held a sinister smirk, arms still crossed. "We'll see about that."

Daichi was much older than Shugo; probably about in his mid thirties. Daichi was about a head shorter than Shugo, who was 5'10". His hair came down to his chin, a vibrant shade of flaming red and constantly looked as though it hadn't been washed for months. A stubbly beard was threatening to break through along Daichi's chin and jaw and he had slight gut from around the middle. Though his arms were muscular and covered in tattoos, his face was thin and sallow.

Shugo looked away. He pressed his head against the cold concrete wall, closing his eyes as if it were a relief. He was glad that Daichi seemed to have dropped the conversation.

However, it seemed that the conversation was put on hold for only a few brief minutes.

Shugo and Daichi both flinched at the sound of their prison door sliding open. Shugo's eyes flew open and landed upon a boy that looked to be about his age. The boy was probably about only an inch or so shorter than Shugo. His hair was light brown and tousled; eyes large and golden. His eyes moved edgily from Shugo to Daichi's face, nervously grasping onto a small bundle of clothes. The police officer shoved the boy in with a harsh shove, making the boy almost lose his footing.

"Your new cellmate," the officer grunted. "Enjoy."

And with that he slammed the bars back into place and locked it. Then he walked away, whistling something softly as if it were all in a days work to cage a person.

Daichi's mouth twisted into a cruel smile. "Hiya, college boy. What's your name?"

The boy's face turned ashen. His amber eyes continued to waver between Daichi and Shugo as if the two of them were planning on beating him. When he spoke his voice was shaking.

"I-It's K-Kero."

Daichi held his cruel smile. "I see. So Kero. What'cha in here for?"

The boy swallowed. His eyes fell downcast.

"They think that I murdered my girlfriend," he muttered.

Shugo raised his eyebrows.

Shugo had used such similar words himself.

The boy didn't say – _I _murdered my girlfriend. He said that they _thought_ he had.

Could the two of them be more similar than Shugo originally thought?

Daichi snorted. "So then what'd you use?"

Kero stared at him almost fearfully. "W-what?"

"You know," Daichi spat impatiently. "Gun, knife - what did you kill her with?"

Kero shook his head appearing flustered. He tried to move past Daichi but the larger man grabbed Kero by the shoulder. Kero was terrified to see a makeshift knife pressed against his ribs, made out of razor blades that were used for shaving. Shugo immediately sprang to his feet, eyes wide and heart thundering widely.

"What's the matter college boy? You afraid to tell?" Daichi hissed.

Kero swallowed and tried to back away only for Daichi to press the makeshift harder into the boy's skin. A small portion of blood was drawn.

"I-I'm not in college," Kero stuttered. "I'm a high school student."

That made Daichi crow. "Oh. Wow. You must be a little genius then, eh? Mommy and Daddy must be so proud."

Shugo clasped his hand tightly around Daichi's shoulder. He clenched his shoulder so hard that the man actually winced, rounding to face Shugo and now holding the blade a few inches away from Shugo's stomach.

"Do you really want to get into this?" Daichi seethed. "I'm not too sure that you do."

"Leave him alone," Shugo growled. "He hasn't done anything to provoke you. And he obviously doesn't want to talk about it."

A flicker of a smile stretched upon Daichi's thin face.

"Ah. Maybe this here is something that the world likes to call destiny. Yeah. Maybe you two are made for each other. When you both go to bed at night you'll both be able to hear the dying screams of your loved ones. You're both smart young little kids. Tell me – if both of you are so smart then how did you end up getting caught?"

Shugo's eyes narrowed dangerously. A sickening grin stretched across the baby killer's face.

"I saw that girl come visit you not too long ago," Daichi said. "She had a sweet little throat." Shugo's body went stiff as the man dragged the blades tip across his neck. "If you killed the rest of your family why not her? Oh. Could it be because she's such a _sweet_ looking girl?" Daichi said, a strange revolting venom dripping from his every word. "How I would love to wrap my fingers around her little neck. Hear the last breath vanish from her tiny strawberry lips…"

That did it.

Shugo's vision flashed red. He couldn't see anything. He didn't know how or what had happened. Anger suddenly gushed through every vein in his body, filing him to the brim with heat.

He was barely conscious of the fact that he had tossed the makeshift to the side, barely aware that he had thrown himself on top of Daichi and was smashing his face in. He could just barely make out the screams of alarm from Kero as the cops came rushing into their cell…

~:*:~

Safira's heartbeat went wild from underneath her chest. Her gem blue eyes were large in absolute astonishment, the air immediately flying from her lungs. She backtracked slapping her hand to her forehead and pushing back her yellow bangs, blown away.

"T-this is w-where you _live_?"

The two of them had just climbed out of the cab and were now standing directly in front of the Ootori mansion. Kyouya glanced at Safira completely lax. Though, his eyes did shine with amusement.

"How could you expect anything less from the group that owns the Ootori Hospitals?" He inquired smoothly. "Now come. I don't want to stand out here all night."

Safira jumped like a dog being called by its master. She quickly ran after him, her blonde hair flying behind her as she did so. Had time really flown by so fast? It was already evening. Safira hadn't realized that the hospital was so far away from Kyouya's house – or – mansion, as she recently discovered. How could she ever be expected to stay in a place like this until she heard notice from possible family or the knowledge of her true identity?

This was simply too much.

"Ah, hello Ootori Kyouya." A butler came and greeted them with a pleasant smile, dressed in what a butler would be expected to be wearing. "It is nice to see that you have finally returned. Your father is at a business meeting with your eldest brother. Fuyumi went grocery shopping and your other brother has locked himself up in his room."

Kyouya looked slightly annoyed. "Why doesn't she just let one of the maids do the shopping?" He grumbled as he slipped off his shoes.

Safira watched Kyouya closely and copied him by kicking off her own shoes. Feeling her gaze Kyouya turned to her to look at her. For some reason her heart jumped several feet into the air and the girl turned away, her eyes now roaming the mansion in awe.

"I-it's huge!" She managed to choke out.

There was so much space. How could they live with so much unused space? How many people lived here exactly?

"Satou-san," Kyouya said addressing the butler. "You will not speak of this girl to my father, Fuyumi, or my brothers. I am planning to speak of it in the morning during breakfast. She is going to be an addition to our family's maids. Until I talk it over with my family I don't want to hear anything about it. Do you understand?"

"Huuh? What?" Safira gaped, whirling around to face Kyouya in total disbelief. "I'm going to be your family's addition to _what_?"

Kyouya stared at her uncaringly. "If you are going to live here then there would obviously have to be a price. Do you really think that my father would just let me bring a random stranger into his house? No. It's better for you to simply get a job as a maid. That way you can live here and get paid. Though, it will probably take you over a decade to pay back the Ootori Hospital. So you can plan on staying here for quite a while."

Safira felt her eyebrow give a slight twitch. "I-I see. Well, that makes sense." She crossed her arms and stared at the wall like an angry toddler. _Not exactly what I had in mind for a job though_.

"You have my word, Master Kyouya." Satou said with a tiny bow, gloved hand over his chest. "Do you need me to take any of your things for you, Miss?"

For the first time that night Safira realized that she was without her duffle bag. "Eh!" She looked all around herself as if the bag may be hiding underneath her own shadow, her blue eyes wide with panic.

"I-I must have left my bag at the buffet," she said. "I'm so sorry!"

Kyouya sighed bitterly. "It's fine. I'll just let you borrow something to sleep in for the night. Now let's go."

Feeling utterly helpless and terrible, she gave a slight nod. Kyouya led the way, taking her what seemed to be miles up the stairs and then down a long hallway that led into his bedroom.

His room could have filled up at least five hospital rooms. It contained a large space for him to indulge in his studies, a plasma TV behind the small table where he seemed to spend a lot of his time, two white couches and a large dresser. There was also another row of stairs that led the way to his sleeping area. Safira blinked.

"H-how –"

"The shower is up the stairs and through the door," he said casually stepping into his room. "I'll let you use that one. There are several other ones in the estate for me to use. I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. You can occupy my bed until Fuyumi leaves, seeing as she's using our guest room at the moment. It would be problematic if another butler besides Satou were to find you or one of the maids. It would be even _more_ problematic if my father or siblings accidentally walked in on you in one of the other rooms. Everyone usually leaves me alone so we shouldn't be expecting anyone; though Fuyumi visits are rather random. I advise you to just stay up there if she comes for a visit. Until we get you registered as a maid, it is important to keep to these rules. Do you understand?"

Safira swallowed. He was smiling at her but it was so unreal that it was almost uncomfortable. Safira wondered what he was really thinking right now. He seemed to be biting down on every word as if they left bitter tastes in his mouth. Safira brushed back a piece of blonde hair, frowning slightly.

"I understand."

"Good. There are towels in the bathroom."

Kyouya turned to leave her to her own business. Safira watched his back until it he snapped the door shut behind him, leaving Safira alone to her own thoughts.

a/n: Yeah, yeah. I know what everyone's thinking. That 'Oh, wouldn't it be more problematic if they found her in Kyouya's room'? Or 'Wouldn't he have more than one guest room'? Well all I gotta say is… SILENCE! You all know that you would like to have a chance to sleep in his bed!! Again. Reality bender. Mwahaha. And he adds more detail to why he's sleeping on the couch in the next chapter. ^^;


	10. It is Such a Beautiful Night

a/n: Thank you again my wonderful Beta Reader!! :D And Creepy-Killer-Kun is back. But he's not all that creepy right now lol at least I don't think so. Kinda weirdly possessive though. O__o GAH! JUST GO READ!

~:*:~

**Chapter Ten: It's Such a Beautiful Night**

~:*:~

Hot water washed over Safira's head, shoulders, and back. The water was hot but it brought comfort to her. She sighed softly, tilting her head up towards the shower head. A thousand drops of warm liquid fell against her face.

The shower itself had to be bigger than Safira's former hospital room. The entire bathroom floor (and the ground and walls of the shower) looked as though it were made of marble. There was no shower curtain but two glass doors in its place, with well-designed glass engravings of what appeared to be the waves of an ocean.

The rest of the bathroom was just as equally massive as the rest of the mansion. There was a giant mirror over an enormous marble sink and a large Jacuzzi. Safira had been so amazed by it that she had fiddled with it for a few moments before she had gotten into the shower, astonished to discover that the water changed colors every few minutes. There was a toilet as well and she was surprised to find that it was just an average looking thing. (She had been expecting to see if the seat was made out of gold or something silly.)

Safira was surprised to see several scars along her body when she had removed her clothes. For some reason she hadn't noticed them before. The showers at the hospital were rushed and unpleasant, so she hadn't observed herself properly. It wasn't as if the scars were massive or anything but they did catch her attention.

One was located on the lower right quadrant of her abdomen. The scar was a very a small and thin line. Safira glanced at it curiously. She wondered how that could have gotten there. What had she done?

There was another scar, barely noticeable. If Safira hadn't been washing her hair she might not have came across it. Her fingers slipped from underneath her hair and ran over a skinny but obvious scar against the side of her neck. Like the one on her stomach it was formed like a line but this one was much smaller. It didn't feel like it was that big and it was somewhat hidden from underneath her hair and jaw. Where was it from? What had happened? Safira had no memory.

But there was one in particular that really captured her eye.

It was one on her right arm just above her wrist. It was of two letters, standing out from against her pale skin. The girl squinted at it, turning her arm at an angle so she could better read it. She didn't understand what it was. It wasn't like her friendship necklace that was in Japanese. No, this one was made out of strange characters. Two of them.

English?

Safira frowned. Why would something like that be engraved in her skin? It had obviously been intentional, but why?

These scars each had a past, a story. She remembered none of them.

She closed her eyes and lifted her head back up again to feel the water pound against her face. But then something unpleasant flickered behind her closed eyes.

Lightning streaked across the sky in long jagged patterns. The wind cut at her arms and legs, wrapping her in a cocoon of ice. The rain pelted at her back. The back of her skull exploded in pain. Fire. Lots and lots of fire.

"_SISSY_!"

"Ugh!"

Safira felt lightheaded. She tried to grip something to steady herself but her fingertips found nothing but droplets of water and air. She fell. Her heart thundered brutally inside her chest. Safira rested her head against the wall, still upon the floor. The water felt like the freezing rain that had just flashed across her mind, despite how hot it really was.

Safira opened her eyes. Her heart pounded furiously. It took Safira a moment to realize that she was frightened.

She scrambled to her feet, reaching for the shower handle. It felt oddly cool against her hand, stalling her for a moment before she collected her bearings and turned it to one side. The water was now off.

As she strained to breathe, Safira reached for a towel to dry off.

What… what was that just now?

They said that when they had found her it had been storming. But Safira had no memory of that day. No memory whatsoever. Unless if that had been…

If that had been a memory of that night, then that meant that she had a sister.

Someone had called her sister.

Safira exhaled sharply. Where was this sister? Why hadn't she come? Could she have gotten hurt that night as well? What if she was sitting in a hospital bed waiting for Safira to come get her?

These thoughts kept Safira's mind busy as she dried herself off. Slowly, the girl tiptoed out into Kyouya's bedroom, clutching the towel to her body. Her head felt strangely heavy. Her long blonde hair was plastered to her head and back as her eyes lowered onto the bed, surprised to see that a set of pajamas had been laid out for her.

They were a pair of Kyouya's clothes. It wasn't much just a large button down white shirt and light blue pajama pants but it would do. For a moment the thoughts that had been whirling chaotic in her head disappeared with a thankful little smile on her lips.

But her smile faded as she made her way back into the bathroom to change.

A sister. Was she older or younger? By the tone of voice it sounded like she was still a child.

Where was she?

~:*:~

"Safira, are you dressed?" Kyouya called, quietly. He had opened his bedroom door just slightly, his head slightly veering over the edge. He had one hand cupped around the perimeter of his vision, terrified that she may be indecent.

Though, it might have been pointless to try to shield his vision since his glasses were stolen. However he would still be able to see her; just not as clear. When Safira had gotten into the shower he had made a phone call to his family eye doctor only to find that he wouldn't be able to get another pair for a week. Kyouya would have put his contacts in but since he was going to bed soon, there was no point.

"Safira," he called again. He poked his head a little further out the door. "Are you…"

"I'm fine. You can come in."

Kyouya sighed. For some reason he felt relieved. Slowly he walked into his room, garmented in only a pair of pants and a towel draped over his shoulders. Safira was sitting on one of the couches. The clothes he had laid out for her were much too big for her. The shirt's arms were so large that they actually covered her hands and hung loosely around her small figure. The pants were also big on her. Kyouya couldn't even see her feet because of it.

For some reason he felt something tug within his chest at the sight of her. He couldn't put his finger on what it was. Maybe it was that stupid dragon again, telling him that he needed to go out and buy her some proper clothes. Yes. Yes, that must be it.

What was he thinking? He could send a maid to do that. Jeesh.

She turned to him and smiled. Her hair was still wet, but she brushed it back, away from her face. Kyouya walked over to her and crossed his arms over his chest, peering down at her curiously.

"You know that I'm going to have to sleep there tonight." He stated promptly.

"Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry." Safira said quickly. She scrambled to a stand so fast that she almost fell. She smiled apologetically, blushing slightly. "My bad," she laughed.

Kyouya arched an eyebrow. She seemed to be acting a little bit odd. Had something happened while he was away? Or was the girl simply clumsy? He didn't think that _too_ much could have happened, considering they were only apart for a short while. Whatever the reason, Kyouya decided to overlook it.

The two of them became uncomfortably quiet as they both made their way up the stairs to his bed. Safira was going there to sleep and Kyouya was going to get a pillow and an extra blanket.

Kyouya took the pillow he normally slept with and another blanket stuffed inside his closet. While his back had been turned to search his closet, Safira crawled into the bed. She was sitting up and staring at him with her large sapphire eyes, the blanket resting above her legs.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep here?" Safira asked softly. "I mean – I could sleep on the couch."

"A gentleman would never let a woman sleep on a couch if a bed is accessible to her." Kyouya replied robotically. It was nothing done out of warm feelings. It was simply breeding.

"Oh… I see," Safira said, eyes now falling onto the blanket that covered her. "Well, then thank you. I hope you will be able to sleep well."

"Mm. Yes. You too."

Kyouya crossed over to the light switch and flipped it off. Immediately his room was flooded in darkness. Moonlight shone in through his window, silver light bouncing off Safira's hair. The gentle light shone softly against her features causing her skin to appear almost luminous. The shadows from the trees cast over the bed and stretched along the floor.

He couldn't help but stare at her, pillow and blanket suddenly loose in his grasp.

He didn't even know her name. Her _real_ name. She would always been known as Safira to him. A name he had given her so that he could call her by something.

How could there be no record of this girl? Surely, if she existed, there would be some type of information kept about her somewhere. There was not one person in all of Japan that Kyouya didn't keep tabs on.

Unless… if those files somehow got deleted…

"Goodnight, Kyouya."

He flinched at her voice. It was soft and gentle, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked up, gray eyes capturing blue. And then he smiled. It wasn't forced or out of courteous regard. It was barely visible but all the same it was there. So small, that not even Kyouya realized that it had surfaced.

"Goodnight, Safira."

And with that he turned and disappeared down the stairs. He could hear Safira rustle in the sheets as he made his way down the steps. He tossed the pillow down on one of the couches and then threw himself down, wrapping the blanket around him securely.

In the morning he would try to find those files again. If they had been deleted then maybe there was a password that he could hack into. It couldn't be that hard to figure out. However, why would someone go through all the trouble to delete those files? Had Safira done something incredibly bad? What if he was harboring a fugitive? Didn't they realize by doing this it would be impossible for anyone to find her?

Unless…

This person didn't _want_ Safira to be found.

"Kyouya!"

Kyouya blinked at Safira's voice. He turned his head up towards his sleeping quarters. "What is it?"

"I… uh… well… thanks for letting me stay here."

Kyouya blinked once more. Why was she repeating this?

"No problem." He turned and rolled to one side. He closed his eyes, ready to forget about the files and such until morning. School was tomorrow… he needed his sleep.

"Uh… Kyouya…?"

Kyouya's onyx eyes flipped open. He sucked in a small breath. "Yeah?"

"Is your sister nice?"

Kyouya was so thrown back by such a question that he almost sat up. But instead he turned back to face where her voice was coming from, eyebrows furrowed.

"Very. She shows much compassion about many people and many things. Why?"

"I was just wondering. You know. In case I meet her."

Kyouya wasn't convinced. He stared up at where his bed was, disbelief radiating off his every pore.

"Right… well… goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He closed his eyes once again. There was a small pause. Surely, he would fall asleep now.

"Kyouya."

The Demon Lord shot a glare towards Safira's bed, annoyed. "Now what?" He practically snarled.

"Your brothers… are they nice too?"

Kyouya closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"They are not cruel people, Safira. Now please stop worrying about it and go to sleep."

"Right. Ok. Sorry."

There was another wall of silence. Kyouya pulled his blanket up closer and attempted to sink further into the couches offered cushions. He waited for a moment to see if Safira was going to suddenly ask him another random question. She seemed to be alright. Quiet. Maybe finally asleep?

_Good_… he thought to himself. Kyouya's eyes slowly drifted to a close again, a peaceful expression washing over his face.

"Kyouya?"

Kyouya sat up. His hair was already disheveled and his silver eyes were piercing the place where Safira slept. The Hypotensive Demon Lord was beginning to break through. Black telepathic waves were going to escape at any given moment. Damn this woman! Didn't she understand that he was trying to _sleep_?

"_What_?" Kyouya hissed.

"If anything were to happen to you, would your brothers and sister come for you? If you were lost would they try to find you?"

Kyouya's anger slowly diminished. The eyes that had began to shine with the intent to kill steadily faded. His furious exterior of a face fell and broke. Shattered. He didn't have to see himself to know that he appeared to be taken aback by such an odd question. But he knew why she had asked it.

Kyouya looked over towards his bed. He couldn't see Safira but he knew that she was there. A slight frown played over his lips as he readjusted his position on the couch, eyes never leaving their current position.

He remembered a time when he was seven years old. His family had visited a very wealthy family who decided to have a backyard party. Of course, his father had wanted to come so that he may gain another ally in case they became rivaling business owners. They had an enormous backyard and a greatly large forest behind it. Kyouya had never gone camping as a child and nor had he ever really had the chance to explore a forest either. Curious, he had gone inside.

And within only twenty minutes of being in that forest, he had gotten lost.

Kyouya remembered the incident perfectly. Each time he had tried to find his way out, he had only seemed to have traveled deeper into the forests bowels. It wasn't long before Kyouya had gotten scared. He had started to cry, wailing even. He tried to run but his tears had blinded him and he fell.

Darkness seemed to have come all too quickly that night.

As a boy, he had brought his legs into his chest and stayed curled onto the ground. The sounds and voices of nature frightened him. The trees branches looked like clawed hands, reaching out for him and attempting to scratch him. He remembered that it had been cold. His entire body was shivering from the bitter icy wind and he tugged his little suit jacket closer to his body.

He had thought that no one would be able to find him.

But then four hours later a brilliant white light blinded Kyouya's vision. He grunted, holding his little hand out in front of his face to shield his eyes. A booming voice that he did not recognize shouted something over his shoulder. He yelled:

"He's over here! I found him!"

Kyouya remembered that the man lifted Kyouya up into his arms, cradling him like the child he was. Kyouya turned to look at the man, realizing that he was one of his family's police force officers. The man smiled reassuringly, blue eyes twinkling behind the mask the officers had to wear.

"You're safe now, kid. Don't worry. You had a lot of people wiled up back there, ya know that?"

Kyouya hadn't said anything. He remembered choking back his tears despite how safe he felt now. Several other police officers met them on the way back to the mansion and within a half hour, they returned. His entire family was standing there, waiting for him, shocked to see that each of them was absolutely filthy. His sister had a slight gash on her cheek and her dress was covered with dirt. His brothers and father appeared to be in almost the same state as Fuyumi.

Fuyumi was the first to get to him. She bolted into a run when the officer placed Kyouya down and gripped his arms so tightly that he thought that they would snap clean off. She shook him furiously, tears rolling like mad rain down her cheeks.

"Never! Never do that again!" She cried. "Do you know – do you know how long we were looking for you? Do you have any idea how badly you scared us? God. We thought you were dead!"

Kyouya's eyes were huge behind his glasses. He remembered crying harder than he had back in the forest and threw his arms around his elder sister's neck, sobbing into her raven hair.

"I'm sorry Fuyumi-niisan! I won't do it again! I'm so sorry!"

His elder sister wrapped her arms protectively around her younger brother and placed her chin against his head. She breathed in a shaky sigh, running her fingers through his hair.

"My, my Kyouya. You're such a handful."

All of his family members had gone looking for him. Each and every one. Even some of the other people at the party had gone to search for him. In the end, everyone had been genuinely worried. Even his father had lost his calm and somewhat dark exterior. When they had found him, relief instantly flooded into their hearts. And Kyouya's as well.

"Yes," Kyouya finally replied. His tone sounded far off as though he were still remembering that day. "They would come looking for me, Safira. I know that they would."

She was silent then. He could hear her movement within his bed sheets; hear her turning to one side. Kyouya hesitated, unsure of what to say, what to add. But Safira spoke before he could think of anything suitable.

"I think that I have a sister."

He raised his eyebrows.

"I… I can't remember her face. But a while ago… I heard her voice. She was calling for me."

Kyouya didn't say anything. He listened with his lips pressed together firmly.

"Kyouya," Safira inquired softly. "By her voice… she sounded small. What if she's hurt? What if she's the one who needs _me_ to find _her_?"

Kyouya paused. He sighed and brushed his dark hair away form his eyes. It was still wet.

"Don't worry, Safira. If this sister of yours exists then we'll find her. I'll make sure of it. And someday, we'll find your identity too. Just be patient. I'll figure it out soon enough."

Why was he making these promises? Why was he even allowing her to stay? This girl was a complete stranger. He shouldn't be making promises to a stranger. But despite how much he tried to convince himself that he didn't care, despite how much he tried to push her image from his head, he couldn't. He couldn't stop worrying. He couldn't stop his curiosity screaming at him from every angle. It was infuriating.

And yet, it was strangely refreshing.

Even though Kyouya couldn't see her, he knew that she was smiling. He could hear it in her voice when she spoke to him again.

"Thank you, Kyouya."

He inhaled and then exhaled softly. He rolled so that he was lying on his back, facing the ceiling with his hands folded behind his head. The moonlight shone through the windows down here as well, casting fleeting beams of silver against his room. He didn't have to look outside to know that it was a beautiful night.

His heart felt strangely unsteady.

"You're welcome," he muttered.

Kyouya closed his eyes once more.

"Kyouya?"

This time Kyouya didn't appear angry or even surprised. It was as if he expected her to add something. The sound of her voice speaking his name made his heart slightly accelerate. He ignored it.

Calmly, he opened his eyes and shifted his head to face his bed once again.

"Yes?"

"Goodnight."

Kyouya closed his eyes gently. He moved his head back to face the ceiling, breathing quietly.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

And then, finally, Kyouya let the darkness of sleep consume him.

~:*:~

"Oh, wow. It's such a beautiful night."

"Shh. No talking."

He had brought a woman home with him; a woman who had desired him for quite some time. Her name was Karin and right now they were on his front porch and he had her back pressed against his front door, his hands wrapped around her stomach and trailing upward. He buried his head into her neck, trailing long and passionate kisses against her slender throat.

It wasn't as if Karin wasn't beautiful. Oh, no. Many men desired her. But the problem was that she appeared to be completely different from the woman that he secretly desired himself.

Karin was probably a whole head taller than him. The top of her pretty little red head reached just below his eyes, unlike his beloved, whose head came to his chest. Karin's hair wasn't naturally red. It was obviously dyed, as it was brighter than a stop sign. He could also make out the faint roots of black at the top. Her hair reached her chest and was slightly curled. She was dressed in a low cut green top that hugged her hourglass figure and a pair of nicely fitted jeans and silver flip flops.

Karin leaned against him, sighing.

"It's just so beautiful…"

"Shh. Don't talk."

He didn't want to hear her voice. Hearing her voice reminded him that this wasn't the girl he wanted. This was just Karin. She was a girl who would sleep with anybody and she had had her eye on him for months. However, she meant nothing to him. The only thing that did matter was her body.

The moonlight cast a silver shimmer over the trees. The fireflies danced in the pitch black surrounding them, spinning and weaving in a sweet ballet. The crickets sang and the frogs croaked. The sound of nature was everywhere.

They were all alone.

He lived in the middle of nowhere.

He had no neighbors.

Only Mea would be able to hear Karin, if she screamed.

He smiled against her neck. He reached behind her body and turned the door handle to one side, pushing her into his eerie little house.

Her blood red painted nails dug into his shoulders and she moaned softly. He told her not to make any other sounds. She could not even whisper. If she talked, it would only remind him that Karin wasn't her.

He closed his eyes and striped away Karin's face. He saw another woman's instead.

Long blonde hair. Innocent blue eyes, sparkling like stars. Soft pink lips reaching up to kiss him.

_You can't keep running from me_, he wanted to say. _Don't you understand? We belong together. We are fated. Destined._

But then he remembered. He remembered the look of horror in her eyes. The anger in her voice. Her wounded tone. He remembered that she had even hit him. She was so weak. So small. It hadn't mattered that she hit him. She was so petite that it didn't hurt. It was almost amusing.

But she had told him that she didn't want him.

The memory seared him. His hands clenched around Karin's wrists, squeezing hard.

"Ow!" Karin whimpered. "O-ow. Stop. You're hurting me."

Karin's voice brought him back. He turned to look at her, noticing the flicker of fear behind her forest green eyes. He lifted one hand to his lips and pressed his index finger against it, locking his gaze onto hers. His other hand was curled around her wrists, still clenching hard like iron chains. An ominous smile stretched across his face. The smile of a serpent. His eyes glinted in the dim light from the window.

"Shhh…" he whispered.

~:*:~

a/n: So I just realized that I don't really know anything about Kyouya's brothers. Did the manga ever mention their names? And what about his mom? O__o Did it ever mention her? I never heard anything about her! So if anyone knows anything that might be helpful please tell me. ^.^ I saw the anime so right now I'm just going off of that. :3

And Karin's name is pronounced Car-in. **Not** _care-in_ like in Karen lol.

And now I am off to see the midnight showing of HARRY POTTER!! HECK YES!! SQUEEE! *runs around in circles* xD This is gonna be the best night of my LIFE! I got my outfit and a wand that glows. T__TO I'm all set.

If I don't post a new chapter within a week it means that I have found my way into another dimension. It'll be a sign that I've found a porthole leading into the wizarding world. Dumbledore has finally given me my letter and I plan on returning from Hogwart's on Christmas. If you can't find me, send me an owl with a laptop and I'll be sure to update. Thank you. :D

(I actually wrote this the night of the midnight showing. It's not the night of anymore. =[ However, the movie was awesome but they did stray from the book a bit. -_-;)


	11. Happy Mornings

a/n: **Please read**. I apologize that this chapter is not Beta Read. I'm going camping and we're not sure when we'll be back. It could be three days or we might even stay up to five. My Beta reader and I are fourteen hours apart, their in the Philippines and I'm in America. (My Beta is probably asleep right now actually, hah. :D) So I wouldn't get the edited version until I came back from camping and I have no idea when that's going to be. So I decided to update it like this and put the edited one up when I return, simply because I didn't want to keep you all waiting. =]

So I'll send this to my Beta Reader right now and post the edited version when I'm back. Sorry if there are a lot of errors. ^^;

~:*:~

**Chapter Eleven: Happy Mornings**

~:*:~

Daichi's face was almost unrecognizable by the time Shugo had been finished with him. As a matter of fact, he wasn't finished. The officers had pulled him off Daichi before he could end it. Shugo was so angry that his limbs were trembling and his heart was beating so hard that he thought it would bruise his ribcage.

Kero stared after Shugo in absolute horror as they dragged the boy away, flailing like a feline being forced into a bucket of water. Daichi was slowly rising to a sitting position, trying to stop the flow of blood that came from his now lopsided nose. The man's black eyes turned into dark slits from underneath the puffy eggplant purple. Shugo felt sickly satisfied with his work.

"I'll get you for this you little shit!" Daichi shouted as the officers dragged Shugo away. "You can be sure of that! You'll regret this!"

Shugo never asked where the cops were taking him. After he had been taken away from Daichi he stopped struggling, his chest rapidly rising and falling with each angry breath. They took him to a far off cell that was all by itself. Shugo realized that with each step they took, the darker the hallway became. It seemed that where he was going, the lights did not work.

"In here," one of the officers said gruffly. Two hands aggressively shoved Shugo into an isolated cell.

This place was completely stripped of any source of light. There were no bars or windows; just a large metal door with a slat where they would be passing his food in. Panic immediately rose into Shugo's chest and he swiftly turned to the guards, only to see them shut the door behind them. Shugo pounded on the metal door.

"You can't do this to me!" Shugo screamed.

He heard laughter from somewhere behind the door. Shugo moaned, pressing his head against the metal door. It felt like ice against him. He shivered and then slowly turned around, sinking to his knees. How long would he be forced to stay in here? How long would this 'punishment' last?

This place was even worse than his last cell. He did not have a bed just a simple mattress that smelled like vomit and no pillow. The strong scent of urine was almost unbearable and yet, Shugo had no idea where it was coming from. It was so dark that Shugo could barely make out his own hand in front of his face.

He wondered how long it would take for him to adjust to the darkness.

With a sigh he tilted his head back against the door. Thoughts began to swim within his mind. At first the thoughts were angry ones. His thoughts filled with Daichi's sick words about Lily and thoughts about how much he hated this place. Then those thoughts turned into fear, fear that he might be forever stuck inside this hellhole. What if they couldn't prove his innocence? What if he was going to be trapped here forever?

He thought of Lily. He thought of his other sister. She was still lost. No one heard anything about her.

He was so worried that his heart actually began to pound at the mere thought.

And then his thoughts came to his parents. His mother was dead - murdered by a man he knew not. But when he found out who did it, he would be sure to make him pay the price for what he had done.

Shugo's eyes fluttered to a close. He realized that closing his eyes made no difference to the night of the room.

And then something beautiful flashed within his memory. A face. A smiling, gorgeous face. The face that would keep him alive while he was here.

Mea. Mea was sitting down on a small stool in his father's garage, waiting for his sister to come out of the house so they could go shopping. She was watching him with a playful smile as he worked over a car with an oil leak. Shugo had always been very good with cars. Klaus, though a police man, was also a very skilled mechanic and had taught Shugo everything he knew. Shugo's fingers were stained permanently black from all the car work he had done. As long as it had wheels, Shugo could fix it.

For a long time he had seriously considered becoming a mechanic. But ever since he had arrived in this place he desired nothing more than to study law.

Mea's face sparked within his mind again.

She was still smiling that beautiful smile. Her shoulder length black hair was shining in the sunlight, blue eyes sparkling like crystals. The very thought of her made his heart flutter from underneath his chest. Shugo imagined her laugh and chills cascaded down his back, the good kind.

He tried to remember what it felt like when he hugged her. Tried to remember the feeling of her tiny body pressed against his own, remembering how he had securely wrapped his arms around her slender frame. How wonderful it felt to hold her. Keep her safe.

And he had never told her.

He had never told her that that he was in love with her.

Shugo lowered his face into his hands.

And now she would never know.

Now it was far, far too late.

~:*:~

"It's a brand new, joyful day! It's a brand new, happy day! A brand new joyful, happy day! A new, new day! I love my day; it's a brand new happy daaaayy!"

Oh, good Lord. What was that? That horrendous singing? It sounded like a hyperactive banshee gargling nails and sunshine.

Kyouya moaned loudly and rolled over on his stomach, grabbing his pillow and throwing it over his head. He attempted to use the cushion as a blockade against this atrocious singing, but it did him little good. If anything, it only seemed to have grown worse.

"Hello, world, here's the song that we're singing! C'mon get happpppyy!"

Kyouya's mind was ticking fast. It only took a few seconds to realize it. He instantly understood that his deepest and truest fears had finally come true. As much as Kyouya willed it to go away, willed it all to be a lie, he could not. For the evidence was right here, singing terribly inside his room. That was proof enough. All the proof he would ever need.

Safira was a morning person.

"Noooo," Kyouya groaned, from both horror and weariness from underneath his shield.

"A whole lot of lovin' is what we'll be bringin'. We'll make you haaapppyy!"

Well Kyouya was not feeling particularly happy. As a matter of fact, he could feel the dark waves of the Demon Lord beginning to seep through from underneath his skin and his blood pressure dropping. When Safira skipped over to his window and pulled up the blinds, sunlight instantly overflowed his room, blinding him even from below his guard. A low growl reverberated from inside his throat, eyes flashing in anger.

This girl had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"Oooohhh! Happy, happy, joy, joy! Happy, happy, joy, joy! Happy, happy, joy, joy, joooy!"

What was up with these ridiculous songs? And why did they all contain happiness in them?

_Note to self__:__ Have the maids bring me a sock in the morning._

"Ohhh, happy, happy, joy, joy! Happy, happy, joy, joy –"

_Note to self__:__ Have them bring _several_ socks._

"Happy, happy, joy, joy, happy, happy, joy, joy, happy, happy jo-!"

It happened so fast that Kyouya was almost unaware that he had done it. With the speed of light Kyouya sat up and threw his pillow at Safira with much force, sending it skyrocketing straight forward into her face. Kyouya must have used more strength than he thought because the throw had actually sent her backtracking several steps and caused her to almost trip over his study table. The pillow slowly fell limply from her face, like the way a person might gradually peel off a bandage, allowing the cushion to drop into her open arms.

Safira stared at him with large shocked eyes. Then she blinked, tilting her head to one side.

"……. joy?"

Kyouya sighed roughly, rubbing his eyes lazily with the back of his hand.

"Are you always so energetic in the mornings?" He hissed.

Safira blinked. "Oh. Well. I don't really remember. I guess so?"

Ah. That's right. She had no memories of what she was like before.

"Why were you singing?" Kyouya muttered in a low irritated voice, as he searched blindly for his watch. He realized that it fell on the floor, and so, he lethargically reached down for it, awaiting her reply.

Safira shrugged, eyes trained on the floor as she now embraced the pillow he threw at her.

"I don't know. They're just some songs that I knew. I don't know why I know them but they were in the back of my head. I guess I was just happy to know that I could remember something. However, I don't remember where I sang these songs or if I sung them with anybody."

Kyouya glanced at her for a small second before lifting his watch from the floor. He hadn't thought that she might have been singing those songs because they were something she remembered.

What would it be like to have a certain memory in the back of your head but never fully understand the full purpose of that memory?

It was strange.

Kyouya strained his eyes to read the hands on his watch. He was usually required to get up for school by 7:00 and his watch read that it was only five minutes until then. So in all, it wasn't really that bad that she had awakened him. He gave a small tired sigh, running his hand over his face before forcing himself to stand up.

Today was the day.

He would have to tell his father about Safira.

Great.

Suddenly someone quietly knocked on his bedroom door, causing Safira to give a slight jump. Almost instantly Kyouya grabbed her by the arm and shoved her up the stairs to his sleeping area, telling her to stay up there and be quiet. When she gave a tiny nod to indicate that she would obey his orders, he turned towards his door.

"Come in," he called nonchalantly.

Satou walked into his room, smiling politely. "Good morning, sir. I'm sorry for the intrusion but your father left me a message. He wanted me to tell you that he and your brother will not return from their business trip until tomorrow night. Also, Fuyumi is waiting for you downstairs for breakfast along with your other brother."

Kyouya's face remained cool and composed, offering a well-bred smile and a slight nod. "Very well. Thank you, Satou-san. I will be attending breakfast shortly."

The butler gave a tiny bow before he turned and left, shutting the door from behind him. Kyouya sighed.

At least with his father's absence, he could probably get Safira registered as a maid without even having to console him. His father didn't really pay attention to the staff that much, as they had so many people working within the mansion. No one would probably even realize it if they hired one more maid, no one except for himself and possibly Fuyumi. However as convenient as the situation might be, Kyouya was not very keen on keeping a secret from his father.

"Um. Kyouya?"

"Eh?" Kyouya turned towards Safira's voice, seeing her head poke out slightly from behind the staircase. Her blonde hair gently swept over her shoulder and her face was a little pink; eyes downcast as she struggled to find words.

"I – uh – I'm, ah –"

Kyouya stared, deadpan. "What?"

Her stomach gave a small growl and her face flushed brighter.

"I'm a little bit hungry…"

_Oh. Was that all_? He thought to himself. She was blushing so much you would think that she was about to confess her love, not tell him that she was simply hungry. Why did she seem so embarrassed to tell him something like that? Kyouya didn't understand this girl's motives. At all.

"I'll see if there is something that Satou can bring you," Kyouya told her. "I'm sorry but you'll have to stay in here in my room until I come back from school. I don't have any time to register you at the moment, so I'm sorry for the inconvenience. However I'll tell Satou to check up on you every so often, to make sure that you are not starving to death up here. I'll leave a message with Satou to make sure that the other employees within the estate will keep out of my room."

Safira gave a tiny nod. Her face turned as bright as a beet when her stomach gave another unsatisfied growl, hiding her head a little bit from behind the banister. Kyouya blinked. She was so childlike.

"Is there anything you want me tell Satou to bring you for breakfast?" Kyouya inquired almost too gracefully.

Safira poked her head from above the railing, eyes suddenly alight and eager. "I like strawberries."

Kyouya snorted. He was certain that just strawberries weren't going to fill her up for the morning. He rested his hand on his hip, staring at her evenly. "How about something a bit more filling? I could see if someone could make up some strawberry pancakes for you."

"Mmm. I can't remember if I like pancakes. Are they sweet?"

Kyouya grimaced. For some reason, the very thought of anything sweet made him feel sick.

"Very," he replied smoothly. "Most people seem to enjoy the combination. I'm sure if you like strawberries you would like them in pancakes as well."

Safira smiled.

"Well they sound good. I'd like to try them."

His stomach gave a slight tug at the sight of her smile. His heartbeat rose a little bit in his chest and for a moment he couldn't stop staring at her. His airway seemed to have locked, closing him off from breathing.

His brows furrowed and he shook his head, turning away.

What was wrong with him?

~:*:~

Karin yawned loudly, stretching her arms up high over her head. She felt her lips curl upward into a coy little smile, flipping a long strand of her vibrant colored hair over her shoulder.

He looked so sensual in the light. Exotic even.

She turned a way for a moment, trailing her fingertips over her bruised arms. Then she looked back up at him, smiling. He was beautiful. Perfect. Who cares if he got a little rough last night?

"What are you staring at?" Karin asked in a playful murmur.

He was staring out the window, his hand over the curtain. When he heard that she was awake he turned, eyebrows slightly raised. "Nothing," he replied, allowing the curtain to fall back into place. "How are you this morning?"

"A little bit hungry," she said, pulling the sheets upward so that she may cover herself. "Do you have anything to eat?"

He shrugged, sitting at the edge of the bed. "I might have some eggs."

"How about pancakes? If you have strawberries we could put those in them."

An odd expression fell over his face. His lips turned upward as if he were about to smile but then quickly fell, eyes suddenly dark. Was it just her or did she sense a hint of malice behind his eyes?

"No. I don't like pancakes."

"Mmm. Ok then. We can have eggs," she said.

Karin slowly crawled out of bed, taking the sheet with her. Her red hair was frazzled and puffed, and her makeup was a tiny bit smeared. Karin wore the sheet like a little white dress, hugging her in all the right places. She could feel his eyes on her as she left, causing her to smirk.

_I knew that we were meant for each other. That stupid girl just had to get out of the way. And now that she's gone, we'll be just fine. Perfect. We'll be just perfect._

But… what exactly happened to her? They said that her brother, Shugo, had been placed under arrest for the murder of both their parents and arson. Lily had been put into the foster care system. So what had happened to their sister? Could she have died in that fire? Karin hadn't brought the subject up at all last night, and not out of consideration that it might hurt her lover, but more of the fact that she didn't want to think about it.

To consider that he might…

Karin shook her head. No. That girl was history. She wasn't her problem anymore. It didn't matter if Karin had practically grown up with the girl; it wasn't as if they were close friends or anything. She was just some other girl in class. The freak blonde-headed one, who was best friends with that weird smart alecky chick.

Karin really didn't understand how the two of them were so close when they were complete opposites. Mea was always talking back to everyone, even teachers. Everyone thought that she was some real tough girl, never backing down against a fight and never afraid to get her hands dirty. She could be downright scary sometimes. As rumor had it, she supposedly took kickboxing classes which terrified a lot of people.

No one understood why that girl would always hang out with Mea. Not even Karin understood it. She had been very pretty, with her long golden blonde hair and exotic gemstone blue eyes; it was obvious that she was well liked by the boys in her class, but she never seemed to notice. She was very smart too, one of the top people in her class and shy, unlike Mea who had to speak her mind about everything.

The girl was always wearing a smile, even when you could tell that she was upset. So when you saw a sweet little thing like her, hanging out with riffraff like Mea, well, it raised a lot of questions. After all, it was almost dead certain that she would have become very popular if she wasn't with Mea.

Karin had hated that girl.

It was a bit cruel but she was actually a little happy that she was missing. As long as she was gone, then _he_ would be giving her all the attention. That stupid little blonde couldn't hold back their love forever. It was obvious that he had wanted Karin as much as she wanted him – if he didn't then why invite her in last night?

Now that she was out of the picture, they had their whole lives ahead of them…

But everyone else at school had mentioned that they thought that he acted a bit strange. Everybody always said it was the way he smiled or the way he stared straight into your eyes. Everyone said he was too dark, too serious, too… too secretive. It was suspicious. All her friends said that just looking at him gave them the creeps.

Karin didn't care what they said. She knew that he was perfect and that's all that mattered.

The floorboards creaked from underneath Karin's feet as she made her way to the kitchen. Even though light was pouring in from the windows, she still felt slightly chilled. She shivered and wrapped the sheet tighter around her delicate frame. There was something about this house that was just downright eerie. She had a hard time falling asleep last night and it just wasn't from the shadows on the walls or nature's cries from outside.

Karin had almost been sure that she had heard somebody sobbing last night.

It sounded distant. As if they were far away – but they couldn't be that far if Karin had heard them. But nobody was in the room with them. No one else had spent the night either. Karin had forced herself to close her eyes, forced herself to block out the sounds of a young woman's weeps. It took her a long time but she finally convinced herself that it was the sound of the wind.

Karin had just made it to the kitchen when she realized that she needed to use the bathroom. She didn't remember which door it was – it was either on the right or the left. Not wanting to bother him, she decided to take a chance with the one on the right.

She reached out her hand and opened the door.

And when she did, she screamed.

~:*:~

He jumped at the sound of Karin's scream. When he went into the hallway, she was standing still, eyes wide and hand over her mouth in a silent scream.

She must have been looking for the bathroom. But she didn't open the correct door, the one on the left. She opened the one on the right.

The darkroom.

A thousand pictures of a smiling girl filled the room. Pictures of a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Pictures of her at school, at home, out with her friend Mea. Pictures of her with Shugo and Lily, pictures with her parents…

All of them had been unsuspected. All of them had been pictures from when he had followed her, taken them from a high tree or from behind his car. Some of the pictures had been taken from between her house curtains or from a far off distance, so that she wouldn't notice he was there.

Yes, he had been following her. He had been following her for a long, long time. Even from before he had formally introduced himself to her. She had never known… though after a while, she became suspicious…

They were made for each other. And now, she was out of his hands. Out of his grasp.

But he would find her again once Mea brought back those files.

Karin slowly turned to look at him, staring at him as if she were really seeing him for the first time.

"Why? How can you… how?"

He smiled, pressing a finger to his lips. His eyes caught hers. "Shhh…."

Karin backed away. Her eyes were wide with fright, gripping the sheet even tighter around herself, guarding her treasures.

"Th-these pictures – everything they said about you – why?"

A strange smile flashed across his face. When Karin saw it, she backed away until she bumped into the wall, his eyes never leaving hers.

"They told me… they _told _me." Karin wept, hand still over her mouth. "They told me!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" he clicked. He held his sadistic grin, tilting his head to one side as though he was trying to see through her. "My, my Karin. I'm so _disappointed_."

"No. No." Karin whispered. She tried to back away even more but she was already against the wall. Pure fear flashed within her forest green eyes, body trembling fiercely. "No… get away from me. Get away!"

His smile widened as he approached her. Once again he held his finger to his lips.

"Shhh…"

~:*:~

"Kyouya, did you hear about this?"

Kyouya lifted his head up from his breakfast, staring at Fuyumi idly.

"Hear about what?" He asked, absentmindedly splitting his bread into two pieces and then popping one into his mouth.

Fuyumi handed him the paper. Kyouya felt a little startled by the serious look on her face and he hesitantly took the paper, eyes following to the place where she pointed. The heading read in big bold letters:

_They Call Him the Grave Digger._

Kyouya's silver eyes rose up to meet Fuyumi's before glancing back down at the paper. His eyes skated quickly over the article, smoothing the newspaper out on the table in front of him. The frown between his eyebrows only grew more prominent as he continued reading.

_Seven women have been reported missing and then later, found dead. Each of them has been discovered underground in their own wooden burial coffin, made in just the right measurements of their body. The police are suspicious that the Grave Digger might have created these coffins himself._

_Each woman is found with a single white lily and a red rose placed on top of their graves. _

"_A white lily is a symbolism for purity and beauty. Red roses usually symbolize love. I think that the killer is trying to be ironic with the use of those specific flowers. When we find the victims they have been brutally beaten before they were placed into the ground. Some are barely even recognizable," says detective Hokkaido Keiji_.

_A lot of them have many broken bones, usually their arms or ribs and sometimes their legs. The more we study these women we notice that rape might have been a possibility as well."_

_Studies have shown that the women were placed in the coffin for several days before they were buried. Dehydration and starvation were at obvious work here. How long these women were without food and water is still a mystery._

_But why is the Grave Digger only going after women?_

"_It could be for anything," replies detective Hokkaido Keiji. "He might go after them because women are seen as weaker creatures than men. He might like the idea of overpowering them. Maybe he was unpopular in high school and women were cruel to him, so he's taking it out on our young women. Maybe he had a terrible childhood while growing up with his mother. The list could go on and on_."

_However, the Grave Digger has shown us a pattern. The first victim was fourteen years old. The next was fifteen, then sixteen and then seventeen. After that he went back to victims fourteen, fifteen and sixteen. If he keeps up with this pattern it is apparent that the next victim will be seventeen years old_.

The paper then went on to list the names of the victims and gave everyone a warning, telling those that near the area of these killings shouldn't let their daughters walk to school alone or simply let them travel anywhere by themselves.

"This is sick," he muttered after he was finished. He folded the paper and then handed it back to Fuyumi, feeling utterly disgusted after what he had just read. "How could anyone be so… twisted?"

"Hey, let me see that." said Kyouya's older brother. He outstretched his hand towards Fuyumi for her to hand him the article. She handed it to him and by the time he was finished reading it, he looked just as sick as Kyouya had.

"Fuyumi, I don't want you running off and going grocery shopping anytime soon. Let alone shopping by yourself," said their elder brother gravely. "I'm serious. What if he came after you? You should have our police force with you or else someone from the staff. Heck, you should even let your brothers go with you from now on."

Fuyumi rolled her eyes, taking a sip from her tea. "I have a husband you know. I'm sure he would do just fine in protecting me, Nii-san. Besides they say if he's going by this pattern that the next victim will be seventeen years old. I'm not even a teenager anymore."

"You never know," he replied. "This guy is a twisted psychopath and you're a very beautiful woman. One look at you and he could change his pattern."

Fuyumi sighed. "Alright, alright. If I go anywhere I'll make sure to bring somebody along, happy?"

"Yes."

"Good. Oh, and Kyouya you look so dashing without your glasses!" Fuyumi added in a lovable little shrill. "Since when did you decide to take up contacts?"

Kyouya rolled his eyes, chewing another piece of bread.

"I didn't. My glasses were stolen by some crazed maniac that goes to our Host Club. I called our eye doctor but he says that he can't give me another pair for a week."

"Oh," Fuyumi said as she reached out to take some bread for herself. "You know, Father _did _buy you a spare just incase if your glasses broke or something. They're up in his room, I believe."

Kyouya froze. His gray eyes went wide and he stared at the wall ahead of him, his body slightly hunched over with his mouth agape, as he was about to consume more of his breakfast. The bread fell like a rock from his fingers as he slowly turned his head to face Fuyumi, his expression pinched.

"_What_?"

Fuyumi blinked. "I assumed that you knew."

"I had no idea!"

"Oh, well now you know." Fuyumi said with a sweet little smile. Then she turned towards their older brother, still appearing quite pleasant. "Nii-san, can you please pass the jam? I think I want some over my bread."

Kyouya slammed his hands over the table so hard that all the condiments jumped on top. He shot up from his chair so fast that it went skidding from behind him, his expression livid.

"Excuse me," he practically growled. "But I have to go to school."

He could feel Fuyumi's eyes trained on his back, giggling as he practically marched out of the dinning room and up the stairs, determined to find this so called 'spare pair of glasses'. When she thought he was out of earshot she turned back to their older brother, who was staring after Kyouya, petrified.

"So, Nii-san about that jam…"

~:*:~

a/n: I promise to post my next chapter once I get back. Please review and tell me what you think. =D I plan to add more stuff with Safira in the next chapter since I didn't get to write anything with her POV in this one.

And can someone answer me a question? I was wondering when if when you deleted your uploaded documents if your chapters would still stay there? Because I'm starting to run out of room lol.

And Creepy-Killer-kun got that weird look on his face when Karin suggested strawberry pancakes because Safira liked them a lot. *nods* Yes. It's not because he's so evil that he hates it when people mention sweets! Lol! xD Though that would be amusing.


	12. DDR and Harry Potter

**a/n: **Sorry for the late update guys. We were gonna go camping but then we looked at the forecast and it's supposed to rain all week! So now I'm here but I've been on and off my computer because my cousin is staying with us to go camping, and now we're not going for another week. Since she's here I can only usually write at night. O-o

Anyway, I don't really like this chapter. D: I think its pretty lame. But hopefully others will like it. -_-

Now this chapter has been Beta read! Yay! Thanks to my awesome Beta. xD Your little notes always make my day haha.

~:*:~

Chapter 12: DDR and Harry Potter

~:*:~

Safira loved the strawberry pancakes. Once she had taken a bite, her mouth instantly began to dance with joy and it had only taken her a few minutes to consume all of them. They had looked absolutely delicious, topped with real strawberries and whipped cream, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. She was disappointed to discover that she had devoured all of them so quickly. She sighed, wishing that she had savored them just a little longer.

But she decided after they were gone that strawberry pancakes were to be declared her favorite food.

However, now that they were gone…

"Now what?" Safira asked herself.

Kyouya had left for school and she wasn't allowed to leave his room. She felt as if she were some kind of pet kitten that he had found on the street, stuffing her in his room and hiding her from his family because his father hated cats. Safira sighed as she pushed her now empty plate away from her atop of Kyouya' study table.

She could already tell that today was going to be pretty boring.

Safira stood up from her current sitting poison beside the table. She was still dressed in Kyouya's clothes, since she had none of her own other than what she had worn to the restaurant. She was still upset about leaving her duffle bag there. Now neither she nor Sasaki-san, would ever get those items back.

Trying not to think about it, Safira occupied herself by exploring Kyouya's bedroom. He didn't seem to keep a lot of stuff. His room was immensely clean, almost too clean. Nothing was hidden underneath his bed, not even a dust bunny. His clothes were all folded neatly inside his dresser and books were placed nicely within their shelves. Safira blinked, realizing that the books and even some movies that he had, were all in alphabetical order.

Completely unaware of the fact that rummaging through Kyouya's things could possibly be wrong, she opened his closet. There were a few jackets and long-sleeved shirts hanging neatly in a line. At the bottom there was a large wooden storage box with an extra blanket, folded smartly on top. How tidy did this guy have to be? Safira stood on her tiptoes, tilting her chin up to look at the shelf. There was several unopened boxes overhead, biting at Safira's curiosity. Interested, she reached up and pulled several of them down.

Games. Hundreds of unopened video games rested on his top shelf. Safira blinked, reading some of the titles. He had a PS2, PS3, Guitar Hero, DDR and even some kind of virtual reality game.

Her curiosity only increasing, Safira dragged the treasures towards his flat screen TV…

~:*:~

Kyouya tapped his chin with the top of his pen, looking over his notebook and staring off into space, appearing to be in deep thought.

_I really should buy her some new clothes. I mean honestly, I can't keep lending out my own clothes. They don't even fit her properly. No. It absolutely won't do. I'll have to get her something after school._

Kyouya blinked.

No. That was absolutely ludicrous. Why was he even worrying about it in the first place? It was such an insignificant thing.

_Ah_, whispered that whimsical voice of the dragon. _But if it was so insignificant then you wouldn't even be thinking about it in the first place, would you? It must not be as trivial as you think it is._

Kyouya gritted his teeth from behind closed lips, pretending to read over something within his notebook.

_It's unimportant. She is going to be my family's _maid_. It's not as if she's my friend or anything_.

_Mmm. Yeah. You're absolutely right, s_aid the dragon in a sarcastic manner. _She isn't a friend. As a matter of fact, she means nothing. That's why you're letting her stay in your house. Moron_.

Kyouya was not used to being called a moron. As a matter of fact, he never remembered ever being referred to as one so this sparked something unpleasant inside him, causing him to visibly glare at the dragon within his mind.

_I am anything but a moron you stupid beast! I am an _Ootori_. If you're looking for a moron, it would be defined as that French idiot across the room._

_Yeah, well when it comes to matters of the heart you're truly retarded._

Kyouya flinched as if someone had physically pinched him.

_What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with my heart. _You're_ the one who's being completely foolish._

"Kyouya! What are you doing?! Get out there and please our guests!"

At once Kyouya was snapped out of his inner argument, looking up from his notebook and staring at a very displeased Tamaki. He was dressed in black robes and a silver and green scarf, balancing a wand in his hand as he struggled to keep hold of his crutches. His cast was now filled with all kinds of signatures, most of them in loopy fancy cursive writing, probably from all the girls in the club Kyouya assumed.

"You are supposed to be role-playing as _Harry Potter_, Kyouya! You're the most important person in costume! Now get a move on and go satisfy our guests!"

Kyouya's expression was absolutely blank. He sighed, placing his notebook on his lap. "Why do_ I_ have to play Harry Potter?"

"Because no one else has glasses." Tamaki replied, as if this was obvious.

"That is not entirely true. Unless if you have forgotten, Haruhi also wears glasses." Kyouya growled bitterly, suddenly wishing that Fuyumi had not told him about the spare in his father's room.

"Oh, yeah… I forgot." Tamaki said, slowly turning to look over at Haruhi.

She was standing off to the side, garmented in Harry Potter attire, long black robes that were Gryffindor themed. Underneath her robes was a mid-length black skirt and knee-high black socks, with a Gryffindor tie secure around her neck. She was wearing a long brown colored wig today that came slightly passed her shoulders, clutching a book to her chest.

Haruhi must have been able to feel Tamaki's gaze on her because she turned her head, facing him. When her chocolate brown eyes met Tamaki's violet gaze, the blonde's face instantly flamed. He held both hands against either side of his cheeks, hold up his crutches from underneath his armpits, nearly squealing at the sight of her.

"But Haruhi is just so cute in a skkkiiirrttt!" Tamaki wailed, crying tears of joy. His tears almost seemed to have transformed into sparkles as they fell from his eyes. "To see her dressed so sweetly… ah! It truly is a wondrous sight to behold!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, appearing slightly angry. "Why am I the only one who has to be a girl character?" She grumbled.

"Oh, Haruhi. You look so cute as a girl," one of Haruhi's guests cooed, slowly making her way towards her. "But I've never read Harry Potter. Who are you supposed to be?"

Straight-faced and clearly unhappy, Haruhi shrugged. "To be honest, I've never gotten into the books either. But Tamaki-senpai said that I'm supposed to one of Harry's friends. Hermonie or something."

"It's _Hermione!_" Tamaki cried. "Honestly, Haruhi. You have to get into character!"

"Yeah, like meee!" Honey sang, waving a small little wand and pretending to cast spells on random objects and people. "Bippity-boppity-boo! Dumbledore wants lots and lots of cake too!"

Honey was dressed in flowing purple robes and a giant pointy wizard's hat with blue stars all over it. However, it was much too big for his head because it kept slipping, and falling over his eyes each time he decided that he wanted to skip around the room. He also wore a fake white beard that came down to his knees and half moon spectacles.

"Well at least I don't have to be Dumblegore," Haruhi muttered.

"It's _Dumbledore_!" Tamaki corrected heatedly.

"Watch this everyone! I'm going to turn this chair into cake!" Honey-senpai cheered.

Just as he asked, everyone turned to watch. Excited, Honey dragged a chair into the center of the room. He closed his eyes and raised his wand, a look of determination over his face.

"Oh, chair you'd taste so much better as an éclair! So let's shake, shake, shake and I'll turn you into a cake!"

Just as Honey-senpai waved his wand, Mori came rushing forward and sent the bottom his foot into the chair, sending it flying in Tamaki's direction. Tamaki screamed and tried to run away but he was too late and the chair collided straight into him, sending him back several feet. Appearing completely calm, Mori placed a small slice of strawberry and vanilla cake onto the floor from behind his back, putting it where the chair once rested.

When Honey opened his eyes, his face lit up with joy. "Yaaay! I did it! I really did it! Yay!"

"Awww! He's so cute!" A group of girls screamed together in unison, watching in absolute delight as Honey fell to the floor and started to eat. Mori stood beside him, arms crossed and eyes staring off into another direction.

Mori was dressed as Sirius Black. His clothes appeared to be ripped and dirty as if he had just returned from living within the mountains for several months. On his feet he had giant black boots and around his shoulders, a slightly tattered black cape. Because of his torn clothing, his chest was exposed and it caused a ton of Mori fan girls to blush and squeal at the sight of him. It was almost downright laughable that none of them could stay still.

"Mori is sooo handsome!"

"I wish he always dressed like that," one of them sighed.

"Curse that horrible dress code! Curse it to the ground!" Another hissed.

"Curse? Did someone say – _curse_?"

Everyone in the room froze at the sound of a familiar frightening voice. All their heads turned towards the direction where the voice had come from, eyes wide in horror at the sight of a black door that had miraculously appeared within Music Room 3. A man cloaked in midnight, gradually peeked his head through a tiny crack in the threshold, one hand held up and veiled by a demonic taupe cat puppet. A wide and sinister grin spread across the man's face, blue eyes flashing with dark but wild enthusiasm.

At the sight of Nekozawa, Tamaki swiftly hopped over and hid behind Kyouya by use of his crutches, slowly peaking over Kyouya's shoulder to look at him.

"Curses? _Curses_ you say? If you are so interested in _curses_ then you can join my Black Magic Club. Come now… don't be shy… if you come forth now, then I'll be sure to give you a free Belzenef doll."

"N-Nekozawa-senpai. W-when did you –" Tamaki stuttered pure terror etched onto his face.

"Now, now Tamaki-senpai. Surely, you did not think that you could host a wizarding cosplay without the assistance of the Black Magic Club!"

"Eh? But I – I –"

"No, no. It's perfectly alright. The Black Magic Club will be more than happy to oblige your wishes, Tamaki-senpai. And since I am the president of the Black Magic Club… I will gladly take the post as – Lord Voldemort!"

"AAHHH! You said his name!" Tamaki screamed from behind Kyouya, pointing towards Nekozawa in unconditional fear. "How? How, can your lips utter such sinful words?!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes. "You know… Tamaki. If Nekozawa is planning on role-playing as Voldemort, I think it's more than necessary for him to be able to speak his own name."

"Ah! No! Kyouya, you said it too!" Tamaki gasped, throwing himself away from Kyouya as if he were a radioactive spider. "You are truly taking up your position as Harry Potter! For only he, is able to speak his name without flinching!"

Kyouya sighed, irritated. "I don't want to be Harry Potter. For the last time."

"Stop whining! You're Harry Potter, whether you like it or not!" Tamaki scolded. "As the only host member with glasses, your role is crucial!"

"Yeah, he does make a good Harry Potter." Hikaru said, gliding over to Kyouya's right and using his shoulder as an armrest. He was dressed as George.

"But you know…" Kaoru added, sliding in on Kyouya's left. He was cosplayed as Fred. "There's something that's missing."

Kyouya raised his eyebrows, looking between the two of them suspiciously. "And… what would that be?"

A pair of devilish grins appeared on both their faces, ember eyes glinting with something mischievous. "Well. How about we just show you?"

Kaoru grabbed both of Kyouya's wrists with a vice grip, forcing him to drop his notebook to the ground with a soft clatter. Kyouya's lips parted in surprise but before he was able to voice anything, Hikaru pushed up his bangs and with his other hand wrote something on his forehead in bright red marker. And then with surprising speed, the second twin released one of Kyouya's wrists and proceeded to ruffle Kyouya's raven hair until it was a complete mess.

The twins stepped back to admire their work, giving Kyouya a grin and a big thumbs up.

"You look awesome now, Kyouya-senpai!" They said in harmony.

Kyouya stared at the two of them, dumbfounded. But slowly, he felt his jaw close and his silver eyes became ablaze in a furious glare, his glasses now reflecting the suns brilliance from the windows.

"What. Did. You. Do?"

The twins blinked, seeming surprised by his reaction.

"Well c'mon. You can't be Harry Potter without his famous lighting bolt scar," Hikaru said with a shrug.

"Or without the renowned untidy hair," Karou interjected, copying the same motion as Hikaru.

"Ooohh! Kyouya looks so handsome with messy hair!" A girl shrieked from somewhere in the room.

"Totally! I love it!" Someone agreed.

"He should always wear it like that." Another sighed, appearing as though she may swoon.

"It's sooo wonderful!"

Kyouya exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. _This is going to be a long day_. He thought miserably.

"Kyouya! You're Harry Potter! So that means you have to fight off He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and force him to leave our club!" Tamaki cried, suddenly grabbing Kyouya by his arms tightly. The blonde's face was pinched in panic. "Please – make him go away!" Tamaki squeaked.

Kyouya pulled away, irritated.

"I am not _really_, Harry Potter. It's you who doesn't want Nekozawa to be here then make him leave yourself. You are the president of the Host Club after all."

"Yeah, but I'm supposed to be Draco Malfoy. We're on the same _team_." Tamaki pouted. "Draco would never ask the Dark Lord to leave!"

"Tamaki, he's not really the Dark –"

"Don't underestimate his Black Magic!" Tamaki yelped. "We are no match for his evil enchantments!"

"Weee~! Magic! Magic! Dumbledore loves magic!" Honey chanted, twirling and dancing around in his wizard robes and casting large loops in the air with his wand. Honey-senpai was obviously having way too much fun with this.

Tamaki's eyes suddenly widened as he was struck with realization. Somehow even with his crutches, he swiftly grabbed Honey by his shoulders and threw him over towards Nekozawa, Tamaki's face pale with anticipation. Honey blinked innocently, turning his head over his shoulder and staring at Tamaki in confusion.

"Tama-chan, why'd you do that for?"

Tamaki bent down behind Honey so that he was at his level, pointing over Honey's shoulder towards Nekozawa. His index finger was trembling with trepidation, as was the rest of his body.

"You're the one wizard that the Dark Lord fears most. Quick! Duel him so that he leaves!"

"Huh? But I don't wanna fight, Neko-chan!" Honey whined childishly. "Besides! Dancing and playing is so much more fun!" He added with a cute smile before he bounded away, smiling and skipping like before.

Tamaki stared after Honey, horrified. But then he slowly turned away and fell on his knees into a corner, sulking.

"_My authority… is being…ignored_._" _Tamaki whispered, dreaded.

Kyouya sighed, shifting his glasses. Then he turned his gaze out towards the window, staring off into the school grounds. His thoughts traveled back over to Safira, wondering how she was holding up back at the manor. She was probably feeling caged. He sighed, shaking his head.

He was neglecting his duties over this. He needed to stop worrying about her and return his attention back to the club. He turned around to face the others, only to come face to face with the twins, both holding identical troublesome smirks. Kyouya did not miss the fact that they were hiding something from behind their backs.

"What exactly are you doing?" He inquired, rising an elegant eyebrow. "I don't suppose that you –"

"Harry Potter simply isn't Harry Potter –"

"– without his trusted owl."

Kyouya stared. In their hands was a stuffed owl, so tiny that it fit in the palms of the twins hands. It was white with big golden eyes and very puffy looking. Kyouya felt himself grimace.

"No. Absolutely not." Kyouya replied, deadpan.

"Here you go Kyouya-senpai!"

"No. I refuse to be seen with that stupid stuffed animal."

"Aww. That hurts Hedwig's feelings, Senpai."

"I don't care."

"Aw, just take it!"

"No." Kyouya stated, unsmiling. "I draw the line at fluffy stuffed owls."

"But the ladies would love it!"

"No."

"C'mon!"

Kyouya turned and glared at the twins coldly. The two of them froze at once, looking as though he had just pierced through their hearts with icicles. They were both clearly afraid, backing away from under his glower.

"_No._" Kyouya hissed dangerously through his teeth.

"Alright. Well, we'll just be going now." The twins said together, now scurrying away in fear of becoming slain by the Demon Lord.

Kyouya shook his head and turned away, now rubbing his eyes rather tiredly.

_This Host Club is going to be the death of me_. He thought.

~:*:~

Mea moaned softly. She lifted her head and squinted to see into the darkness, her head pounding. How had she ever been able to fall asleep? She wasn't sure if it was night or day. It was always night in this basement, always pitch black unless if he switched the light on.

But something was different today. There was something… something out of place. She felt the presence of another person.

Mea felt her heart jump inside her chest and her stomach gave an uneasy twist.

She wasn't alone.

Mea looked around but found no one.

"H-hello?" she breathed. "Whose there?"

"Help me. Help me… please… help me."

Mea's eyes widened. She rattled at her chains, desperately trying to break free but to no avail. It was the voice of another girl.

"Hey, it's alright. You're not alone. I'm here too." Mea said trying to sound reassuring as she worked at her chains. "Where are you? I can't see you. It's too dark."

Mea heard the woman choke out a sob.

"I-I don't know. He put me in here. In this box."

Mea sucked in a breath. She could see it now. It wasn't that far away, a coffin built just this girl's size. Mea struggled against the chains again.

"How long have you been here?" The girl asked. "I-I haven't been here long. Please. Tell him to let me go."

Mea sighed sadly. She shook her head. "I can't. I am a prisoner here as well. He has me in chains. I'm sorry but I can't do anything to help."

There was something about this girl's voice that was strangely familiar. Mea felt her eyebrows furrow, quickly going through the names and faces of people in her past. The voice was defiantly recognizable. She just couldn't place a face to that voice.

The girl let out a strangely muffled wail. Mea could hear her clawing at the coffin's roof, just as she had done not so long ago. Mea stared at the little box utterly helpless. She pulled at her chains again, straining every muscle but they didn't give even an inch.

The girl started screaming and crying even louder than before. Mea winced at the sound of her nails scraping the wood and the gasps as the girl strained for breath. Mea bit her lip, trying to think of a way to calm her down. The more she panicked the less time she would have.

"My name is Mea," she said trying to keep her voice collected and leveled. "Well, technically my full name is Ameya. I don't like it though. Just Mea is good."

The girl in the box stopped all movement.

"Mea?" She replied in absolute disbelief. There was definitely something distinguishable within that girl's voice now, and yet Mea could not place the woman's identity. "No way… _Mea_?"

Mea blinked. "Yeah. Do you know me?"

"Mea, it's me! It's Karin!"

Mea's eyes widened in both terror and surprise. Karin was a girl that went to the same school as Mea and her best friend. They never got along with Karin because she was always doing something sneaky from behind their backs, always jealous of her friend and attempting to do nasty things to her. Karin was one of those girls who would do anything to get the top rankings with popularity, uncaring of those around her and completely cruel to those who got in her way.

"What are you doing here?" Mea demanded, more shocked than anything. But then Mea quickly came up with her own explanation, a nasty knot forming in her gut. Everyone knew how obsessed Karin was with this man. "Oh, God. Karin… don't tell me that you were with him last night."

Karin was silent. After a short pause Mea could hear her crying again, sobbing even. It made Mea's heart wrench unpleasantly and even though she couldn't stand Karin, there were times at school when Mea thought that she even hated her, Mea couldn't help but feel the deepest amount of sympathy and dread for her.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright." Mea said, trying to keep her voice gentle. "Really, it'll be okay."

"No! No, it's not going to be ok!" Karin screamed from within her coffin.

Mea flinched at the sound of Karin pounding her fists against the wooden lid, roaring as she tried to force it open. But it was useless. The box jumped a little when she thrashed around but other than that, her efforts were in vain.

"Don't you see? We're going to die!" Karin wept. "We're both going to die! He's going to kill both of us! He's going to put us in the ground just like all those other girls everyone read about in the paper! Oh, God. God. Why didn't we notice before? The signs… I see all of them now… uggh."

Mea felt a little sick to her stomach, despite the fact that there was nothing in it. Everyone at school knew how Karin had felt about him. She was obsessed with him – everyone told her that something was off about him. Everyone could see that there was something dark about him. Mea had tried to tell her friend too… but…

"Karin, please. Just try to relax." Mea said. "I know that it's hard to do right now, but you have too. He'll hear you. And it'll make him angry. If he comes down here because he's angry then he'll bury you sooner."

Mea could tell that Karin was trying to gather her bearings, trying to control herself. She breathed in a low trembling breath, sniffling loudly. For a moment all was silent. Mea was certain that she could hear the sound of both of their pounding hearts.

"Mea… how did he capture you?" Karin whispered quickly. "Why… why are you here?"

Mea was silent. She sucked in a low breath and leaned her body against the wall, shuttering at the coolness of it. Mea thought that she was going to be immune to the sound of her own racing heart. It was always pounding loudly in her chest and in her ears, pounding until she was almost deaf to it.

"I grew suspicious of him. After reading all these newspapers and hearing all about the Grave Digger on the news, I slowly began to put the pieces together. I didn't believe it at first – I mean – it almost seemed impossible, right?" Mea said. "But after awhile I noticed that everything was starting to connect. He would be gone for long hours, sometimes no one would even hear from him for days. I began to see that whenever someone was in pain, he would get this deranged look in his eyes, as if he took joy in seeing someone suffering. When I first met him there was just something completely off about him. Then… he started leaving my friend all of those creepy messages… and…"

Mea paused, thinking back on the memory. Her friend had been so scared. _She_ had been scared.

"He wouldn't leave my friend alone. Eventually, she had to change her cell phone number and her family had to change their house number. Her father and brother even had a huge talk with him, telling him that he had to leave her alone."

Mea felt her heart clench in her chest at the thought of Shugo. She shook the feeling off, trying to cast him away from her thoughts.

"Then he started appearing wherever we went. He would show up at the mall or something and acted like it was a coincidence. But we knew better. He was stalking her. Wherever we went we had a feeling that we were being watched. Shugo and I never wanted to leave her side. It came to the point where they were going to move away and file a restraining order. I was furious, so one day after school I got so upset that I decided that I wanted to confront him. I was going to give him a piece of my mind."

"I came to his house and knocked but no one answered. It was unlocked so I went inside, thinking that he was just ignoring me because his car was in the driveway so he had to have been home. I… I found the darkroom upstairs and I freaked out. I saw this strange trail of blood along the walls and floor, leading into his basement. I followed it and I saw all the coffins. There was a girl inside one of them, where the trail stopped. I tried to free her but she was already dead by the time I opened it. He didn't even bury her yet but she had died from a blow to the head. But I finally knew that he was what the news was calling_ The Grave Digger_."

"Anyway, he has a computer down here. There were these files up about my friend. The files contained where she and her family were planning on moving and I – I just panicked. I knew that he was going to follow her and do the same thing to my friend as he did to all those other girls in the news. I tried to delete only the ones that said where she was going but I ended up deleting everything – now it's as if she doesn't even exist! And now no one can pull them up again unless I give them the password." Mea sighed, thinking back upon the memory. "In a nutshell he found me down here and now I'm his prisoner. He wants the password. But once I give it to him – he'll kill me and he'll kill her."

Karin didn't speak throughout Mea's story. She only listened. The only sound was of her nails gently scrapping across the wooden lid, not in a frantic way but almost at a pace, as though she were in a trance.

Finally, Karin spoke.

"I… I'm sorry, Mea."

Mea lifted her head. She looked into the darkness and towards the coffin that confined her.

"I'm sorry… for everything."

~:*:~

"_Failure_!"

"Gaaahh! No! Not again!" Safira screamed, gripping either side of her head in absolute dismay.

She had been unsuccessful at DDR for _hours_. All day, just when she had just thought that she was doing well, the screen would flash _'failure'_. Each time it caused Safira to roar and kick at the DDR matt, though this did no good, usually causing her to slip and fall flat on her back.

Sweating and gasping for breath, Safira crossed her arms and glared at the TV screen. It was still flashing with that unmistakable 'failure' causing a tiny growl to escape past her lips. Absolutely determined this time, Safira rolled up her sleeves and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. Her heart was still pounding from all the physical activity, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath.

She was not going to give up. By the end of the night she would become a DDR master!

And so she proceeded to try again, completely unaware of the all the people sacrificing so much just for her.

~:*:~

a/n: Thanks Amuary and my Beta for telling me about the document stuff. ^^ Now I can freely delete. :D

Haha. I was actually thinking about having Mori be Hagrid and Honey be Hedwig. xD Since Mori is so tall and Honey is so cute. But then I thought that all the girls would like to see Mori looking all sexy and when I discovered that I didn't have anyone as Dumbledore, I thought that Honey would make a really cute one! ^^ I hope everyone liked the cosplay. I'm a die hard Harry Potter fan, so I'm sorry but I just had to throw that in there. :3 I wish I could have figured out someone to play Snape though. O-o Eh, oh well.


	13. Accusations

a/n: Woo! The chapter is finally up. ^__^ Sorry that it took so long. Camping seemed to have lasted forever! Haha. Sorry it's not Beta read but it will be soon. I hope I don't disappoint anyone with this chapter. ^^;

~:*:~

**Chapter 13: Accusations**

~:*:~

Kyouya had no idea why he was here. _Here_. In this place, of all places. Why? Why was he standing here? He shouldn't be here. Even though he was now out of his Harry Potter costume and had scrubbed his face raw until he had gotten rid of that stupid lightning bolt design that the twins drew, he never before felt so uncomfortable in his entire life.

He'd rather have another go as Harry Potter than to be standing here.

He didn't even recognize the name of the store. All he knew was that it was horribly girly, so girly that he almost couldn't stand it. It was filled with all sorts of pink and frilly attire and the floor was littered with sparkly magenta hearts. Kyouya could feel his demonic aura attempting to penetrate though his body, causing all of the stores management and customers to stay as far away from him as possible. He resembled an angry lion awakened from its sleeping den, muscles tense, grey eyes flashing with every bit of malice.

_That's it. I can't stay here. _Kyouya decided, making a complete u-turn out of the store and back into the actual mall.

He made his way through the massive sea of people and came into what seemed to be a decent looking store. Sure, it was obviously a store for girls but at least this one didn't have a floor that was covered in glittery hearts.

"H-hello, there. Can I help you, sir?" An employee of the store inquired sweetly, blushing madly.

For some reason he felt differently when this woman blushed compared how he felt when Safira did it. When Safira's face turned pink, it evoked something and he almost enjoyed making her do it. Safira also didn't just blush when she was looking at him either. She blushed over the silliest of reasons, or so it seemed. When this girl's face went red, it only annoyed him.

"Yes," Kyouya replied lazily. "I need to purchase some clothing for someone. I want to buy whatever is necessary."

The girl blinked. "Necessary?"

"Yes. I don't care what it is, how much of it, just pick out some clothes and throw them on the counter so I can pay for it. Do we have an understanding, Miss?"

The girl's eyes widened.

"O-of course. Do you know this persons – well – size?"

Kyouya blinked. Truthfully, he had no idea.

He envisioned Safira's petite frame. He rubbed his chin in thought, looking at the woman with a peculiar expression.

"Um. Small?" He replied, unsure.

The woman laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Right, well… if she's a smaller person then I'll just pick out things within that range. Though, it might be a good idea to get things that are a little bit bigger and if it's too big it'll just shrink in the washing machine."

"Whatever. Just gather some stuff." Kyouya replied so darkly that the woman actually jumped.

He could care less about what clothes did in the wash. Just as long as Safira had some and hopefully, they fit. If they didn't then he would have to return them and get the same ones in a different size.

Not wanting to be a pest the woman ran off and began wildly picking up random clothing within the store, her face white with fear. Unsure what to do with himself (and feeling suddenly immensely bored) Kyouya walked over to the counter and waited patiently for the woman to finish, leaning against it lazily and un-pocketed his cell phone.

He had just barely begun to dial the number when something picked his interest. The voice of a little girl somehow pulled him away from all of his former thoughts and caused his head to turn. It wasn't the fact that it had been a young child that had spoken or even what she had said. When Kyouya looked up, he stared at a face that resembled Safira so much that he actually almost felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Without realizing it, his jaw dropped a tiny bit and his fingers felt like weak blades of grass from around his phone.

Their faces were so similar. The girl could practically be Safira's daughter.

"This place is for _grownups_. Can't we go to the Disney store or something?" The girl pleaded, her tiny lower lip jutting out in a small pout. "I can't wear anything here anyways!"

She was a sweet looking little thing. She wore a pretty sky blue sundress that came down to her knees which was tied with a large bow on the back. Her hair was held up in two bright blue ribbons, intertwining with her blonde hair.

The resemblance was so striking that Kyouya couldn't stop himself from staring. There were slight differences: Safira's eyes were blue while this young girl's were green. Her hair was cut shorter than Safira's, her mouth and jaw weren't exactly lined the same way and while Safira seemed to trip on her own two feet, when this child walked, she almost appeared to glide over the floor.

But the aura that the child radiated, the look on her face, suggested that she was completely worn.

"I have no time to venture into such a stupid store like that," the woman beside her barked. "You don't need a dumb cartoon on your clothes all the time. And this place _does_ have some clothes that would fit you."

She had her back turned to Kyouya, going through what looked to be some long black skirts and dresses. When she finally turned around she was holding up the ugliest black dress Kyouya had ever seen, with sleeves and a thousand black beads creating a large butterfly against the chest. There was so much black lace on it that Kyouya almost felt sorry for the poor girl. The woman flashed a smile, holding it up as if it were the world's greatest treasure.

"Now, now wouldn't this look nice on you?" The woman said so sweetly that it sounded sour. The little girl grimaced, backing away.

"But I don't like that. It's ugly." The child replied bluntly.

Kyouya studied the older woman more closely. She couldn't be related to the girl. They looked nothing alike, with this woman's tiny black eyes and beak-like nose. Her hair was graying and her head was held up so high, you'd think that someone was holding her back with a string. While the little girl seemed to be bright and cheery, this woman wore nothing but darkness. It made her skin look even paler than it really was.

A tinge of pink flooded into the woman's cheek. Clearly angry, she shoved the dress back into its rack.

"Very well. You don't like anything that I have to offer you? Then fine. You don't get anything at all."

And with that she grabbed the child by her forearm. The little girl emitted a soft cry at the woman's touch, whimpering as the shadowy woman began to drag her away. The young child's emerald eyes filled with tears, exclaiming things like, "Just because I don't like _that_ doesn't mean that I won't like something else," and "It's my allowance money anyway, I should be able to decide what I want!"

He felt a slight twinge of sympathy and guilt. It wasn't as if the lady was beating the girl in the store or anything. It wasn't as if he had seen something that should cause him to worry.

And then he saw it. Just as they made their way passed him, making their way towards the front entrance.

A trail black and purple bruises against the child's pale arms. The cut on her cheek. The purple circles from underneath her eyes. The look of absolute horror on the child's face as she was tugged away, her eyes shining with worry as she thought of the possible punishments that waited for her when nobody was looking.

Kyouya started towards them almost at once. He wasn't sure what he planned on saying, wasn't sure what he was going to do once he caught up with them. He had barely started moving his feet after them when the saleswoman who had been helping him suddenly appeared in front of him, huffing and puffing as she tried to catch her breath. Her arms were filled with so many clothes that it looked as if she were holding two oversized clouds.

"Are – these – alright?" The woman panted.

Kyouya hesitated, his eyes falling back down onto the management in front of him before they flew back towards the girl and the woman. But it was too late. They were gone.

"Those are fine," Kyouya replied, his voice sounding detached. "Please, ring them up."

"Right away, sir!" She cried before diving towards the cash register. Didn't he ask her to put the clothes on the counter in the first place?

That young child was clearly hurting. And she looked so much like Safira – he intended to find out who she was and what was happening to her. If the girl was somehow connected to Safira then maybe he could finally settle this whole matter.

Throughout this whole thought process, Kyouya tried to convince himself that it was so he could get Safira out of his house faster. So that he could go back to his normal lifestyle and thoughts. So he wouldn't have to feel such strange emotions.

But no matter how much he tried, he could never find an explanation as to why he cared about this whole matter in the first place.

~:*:~

He poured himself a glass of water and drank it down. And then he took it and threw it against the wall, watching it shatter.

Why the hell did Karin have to stay? If she had just left after their little 'fun' last night, then all would have been well. She would have never walked into the wrong room. She would have never seen those pictures.

But no. Now she had to die.

She had to suffer. Sweat. Die slowly, painfully.

And he knew exactly how to do that.

But this was going against everything. Going against his order. Karin was not in his order. She was ruining all of his plans.

She was seventeen but not the seventeen year old victim he had, had in mind. The newspapers were right to assume that his next victim would be a seventeen year old female, and after he was finished with Karin, he would have to find another fourteen year old girl. In other words he would have to wait and kill three more girls if he wanted his order to make sense. The seventeen year old he _really_ wanted to murder would have to wait… unfortunately…

It was so hard to come across naïve fourteen year old children these days. Especially with all the attention he was getting from the papers. It was rare to see any girls walking home by themselves anymore.

It was a shame… how much little trust people had these days.

He bent down to the ground, slender pale fingers reaching down to pick up the glass. The shards were sharp and tiny, and it wasn't long before he recoiled, his middle and index finger oozing with red liquid. The pain wasn't horrible but it _was_ irritating, both fingers pulsing.

A glazed look came over his eyes. His head titled to one side, as if he was studying his reflection for the very first time. The corners of his mouth gave a slight twitch at the sight of the blood, the crimson fluid rushing down from the tips of his fingers and downward. It was so vibrant. So bright against his chalk-like skin.

A malevolent grin spread across his lips, exposing his perfect gleaming teeth. And then he brought his fingers to his mouth, gently kissing his injured fingertips like a mother would do to a scrape or a cut on their child.

Silently to himself, he thought of how Karin's lifeblood would taste when he made his way down into his basement.

~:*:~

Kyouya stood rooted within his doorway, eyes large behind his glasses. He couldn't believe it. He didn't understand what he was seeing.

Why was Safira… dancing in his room?

A look of utmost determination was spread across her face as she proceeded against the monster known as DDR, her brows furrowed, eyes alit, hair tied up and sleeves rolled all the way up to her shoulders.

For a while, it seemed as if she was doing well. She was really getting into it, not even realizing that Kyouya was standing in the doorway and observing her play. Techno music filled Kyouya's room, causing him to cringe. Then his eyes fell to what was on the floor next to her; a thousand boxes of video games and systems he had long forgotten, now torn, opened and spread about all over his floor.

He did a double take around his room, quickly realizing that she had gone through almost all of his belongings. It wasn't as if his room was torn apart but what she had done was clear enough. The books and DVDs were once held together nicely in a specific order. Now they were slightly crooked and his drawers were wide open, clothes once folded nicely now unfolded and messy. Kyouya felt his eye give an unpleasant twitch. The entire way up the stairs and into his room, he had debated if he should tell her about the girl in the store. But now all those thoughts had been forgotten. Now…

Now he was going to kill her.

Didn't she understand the meaning of privacy? That nosing around in someone's room could be offensive?

After a few seconds of watching her, Kyouya quietly closed the door behind him his, expression unreadable. Safira didn't even look up at the sound.

He came to stand behind her, clearing his throat to get her attention. When she didn't hear him Kyouya proceeded to lightly tap her shoulder, careful to keep his hold on the plastic bags. Safira jumped so high in the air that it was almost comical, letting out a high shrilly shriek. She lost her footing on the matt when she came back down, causing her to tumble forward towards his TV.

Instinctively, Kyouya dropped one of the bags and shot out his hand, grabbing her by her forearm and thus preventing her from falling. However she still landed strangely, looking as though she was in a very severe game of _Twister_ rather than DDR. Her legs were spread wide against the matt, upper body strangely placed as though she were in the middle of a backbend, one arm stretched down and touching the floor, the other held up by Kyouya.

Safira stared up into his face, her eyes large with surprise. She was embarrassed; Kyouya knew it by the way heat instantly flooded into her pale cheeks, making his chest tighten. Her lips were slightly parted, sapphire eyes never wavering from his own. For the first time, Kyouya realized how defenseless, how _innocent_ she really was. Her arm felt so thin and small from beneath his larger hand, her eyes sparkling with clear vulnerability. A strange desire to protect her rushed through him, an emotion he did not understand. It was strong, so strong that it almost seemed to shatter all of his logic.

For a moment any trace of shock or anger from finding her in his room like this evaporated like smoke. For once, he was completely at loss of what to say.

She blinked, cerulean eyes still wide and glowing with childlike naiveté. Slowly, terribly slowly, she reached up her free arm, raising it towards his face. His body froze, heart stumbling clumsily inside his chest. He watched her lips move as she began to speak.

"Kyou-"

At that precise moment there was a large, earth rattling sound. It was powerfully loud, as if the voice of God had thrown itself upon them and scared them out of their wits.

"_FAILURE!"_

"Aaah!" Safira screamed.

Both Kyouya and Safira jumped, causing Kyouya to accidentally release her arm and sending her flying into the ground. Kyouya was about to apologize and ask her if she was alright, but something else seemed to have been on her mind. Her head instantly swerved towards the flat screen. Her body was frozen in absolute shock, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"No! No – _Noooo_!" Safira wailed. She clutched either side of her head, shaking it furiously. "I can't believe it! I failed – again! Ugh! I was so close that time! Why God? _Why_?!" She demanded to the ceiling, her palms facing upward as if she expected the answer to fall from the sky.

Kyouya lifted his head towards the screen. The word 'failure' shown itself hugely across his TV and Kyouya instantly assumed that this was the cause of all of Safira's horror. Kyouya raised an eyebrow at both Safira and the screen, releasing a soft little sigh. He shook his head, running a hand through his dark hair. Why was she getting so worked up or something so simple?

"I apologize for frightening you and ruining your game," Kyouya told her wanly. He bent down to read one of the labels on the boxes. "Where did you find these?"

Safira turned to look at him, worry now etched between her eyebrows.

"I-I'm sorry! I assumed that it was yours. There were all these games just piled up inside your closet and I was really bored all day, so I just opened them without asking. I'm sorry!"

Kyouya blinked. He thought back to when he had actually stuffed those games and systems within his closet. It had been so long ago, Kyouya forgot that he even owned such things. But seeing them spread out against the floor like this, he was instantly reminded of them.

"Yes, they are mine. I forgot about them until I saw them again."

Safira tilted her head to one side. "What? How did you forget?"

Kyouya sighed. He really didn't want to go into details about something so trivial.

"They were gifts. Gifts for birthdays, Christmas… I received those games years ago. I've never been really interested in video games. I was planning on returning them to their stores eventually and get some money off of them. But after a while, I seemed to have disregarded them and left them to collect dust. And now that you've opened them, I probably can't get any profit at all."

Safira stiffened; horrified that she had ruined his plans on returning the games.

"And the next time that I'm out all day I suggest that you do not go through my things without asking."

Safira opened her mouth to speak but Kyouya picked up the plastic bag that he had dropped, shoving it at her face in one swift motion, cutting her off. He then handed her several other bags, her eyes large with confusion and taking the bags gingerly.

"I bought you some clothes," he informed her briskly, trying to keep his face cool and uncaring. "Don't plan on repaying me, you can't afford it. Once Fuyumi returns to her husband, you'll be able to take her room and have space for them in there."

Safira stared at him with disbelief. Her face flushed pink and she scrambled to her feet, struggling to keep hold of all the bags.

"Y-you didn't have to do that! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"There is no need to thank me. I only bought them for you so that you wouldn't have to wear the same outfit everyday, or borrow some of my own clothing." Kyouya replied almost coolly, pushing his glasses up with his index finger and forcing his gaze away from her. "Please, just go try them on. I want to make sure that I got you clothes that fit. If I didn't then I want to return them as soon as possible and get the correct sizes – Safira, are you listening to me?"

He turned to look at her, slightly annoyed. Throughout the entire time he had been talking, he could hear her rummaging through the bags and just when he had finally turned his head to face her, she pulled out a bright baby blue bra with white stars all over it and some tiny white bows at the base of the straps. She blinked, holding it up and gazing at it innocently.

"Oh. This is cute." Safira mused to herself, cupping her chin between her thumb and pointer finger. She turned to Kyouya, her face instantly going red. "I-I didn't think you would be comfortable getting me this kind of things though."

Kyouya felt his mouth grow dry, staring between Safira and the undergarment blankly. He wasn't sure what to feel. Embarrassed? Uncomfortable? Kyouya never particularly felt embarrassed about anything. He was confident in himself in almost every area, his assurance never wearing too thin. There were times and situations when Kyouya felt uncomfortable, any human would – but the point was that those situations were _rare_. And right now, he was feeling the strange combination of both.

_Damn this woman! She's making me feel all sorts of uncanny things! I need her out of my house – now!_

_Now, now,_ tsked the dragon. _Just because you've never bought lingerie for a woman before, doesn't mean you have to blame your embarrassment on the sweet girl in front of you_. _After all she's more like the innocent bystander._ _Did you ever stop to consider that maybe you're just hormonal?_

_Shut it! I didn't buy her lingerie! I didn't even pick anything out I left the choices up to that woman at the store! And I am _not _hormonal._

A silence built between them, neither sure of what to do or say. Kyouya was mentally battling with an imaginary dragon inside his mind (or better known as his 'conscience') and Safira was simply staring at him, probably too stricken to speak.

"Kyouya, you didn't tell me that you came home! Honestly, I've been waiting to tell you something all day and then you don't even come to say hi! Really Kyouya, I'm not staying much longer and I don't appreciate you –" Fuyumi froze within Kyouya's doorway, eyes large at the sight of her younger brother standing with a woman dangling a bra and a several plastic bags.

Safira looked quickly at the bra and then back at Fuyumi, very reminiscent of Tamaki. Safira seemed to have instantly understood the type of situation that she was in, swiftly shoving the bra back into its bag and turning plum red. At the look on Fuyumi's face, Safira dropped all the bags, waving her arms and shaking her head.

"I-it's not what you think!" She piped.

Fuyumi's eyes narrowed dangerously. She swiftly turned her head over to Kyouya, resembling an enraged cobra. Her face demanded clarification and fast. Though despite how livid Fuyumi obviously was, Kyouya remained calm and collected. He smiled warmly as if his sister had just stepped in for a cup of tea or a nice chat.

"Why, hello Fuyumi-neesan. How are you this lovely afternoon?"

Enraged, Fuyumi marched over to Kyouya, stabbing her index finger into his chest and practically growling:

"Don't you 'Oh, hello Fuyumi,' _me_!" She hissed, continually jabbing him and now speaking between pokes. "Since when did your morals get so mixed up, huh? Have I been living away from you for too long? And what's in the bags? More lingerie?!"

"Aaaah~!" Safira whimpered, looking between the siblings in absolute terror. "N-no! Please, just hear me out, I –"

"Calm down, Fuyumi-neesan," Kyouya replied, unaffected by his sister's rage. "It isn't at all what you are making it out to be."

Fuyumi inhaled and then exhaled loudly but shakily, trying to control her fury. Though Kyouya appeared composed, he wished that he could have introduced Fuyumi to Safira during better circumstances – or not at all. Kyouya watched as Fuyumi slowly raised a finger and thrust it in Safira's direction, who flinched.

"_Explain!_"

~:*:~

Daichi had been temporarily removed from Shugo's cell. Since the two of them obviously did not get along it was only necessary that the two of them remained separated. When Shugo finally returned from the isolation cell Kero was the only one in there waiting for him, sitting on the bottom bunk and holding up a small canvas.

Kero looked up at the sound of his cell door being opened, his golden eyes instantly meeting up into Shugo's. There was a pause as the guard fiddled with Shugo's handcuffs, waiting for him to unlock his chains. When Shugo's wrists were finally freed the guard left them alone, locking the barred door behind him.

His wrists burned unpleasantly. Red markings from where the metal had eaten away at his skin were clearly shown. Shugo winced as he allowed his fingers to lightly graze over the wounds, hissing from the pain.

Kero didn't look up from his work, nor did he say anything to Shugo. The two of them remained in silence, unsure if it was safe to mention or say anything to the other. Kero had no idea what type of person Shugo was – Shugo had no idea what type of person Kero was. Right now, they were both playing it safe.

Without looking at him, Shugo crossed over to the bunk bed and crawled up the ladder and lied down on top. He had intended on lying flat on his back and maybe get some decent amount of sleep. But instead he had turned his body to the side so that he could look over Kero's shoulder, peering down at his work on the tiny canvas provided.

He wasn't using actual paint. In place of watercolors he was using candy. Shugo stared wide-eyed, doing a double take to make sure he was seeing things properly. But he was. This guy had actually resorted to using Skittles and Starbursts to create his picture. Shugo watched, realizing that he used the Skittles until the color faded into white, the sugar. Then he would pop it in his mouth and start using the next candy.

"How long have you been an artist?" Shugo asked against his own will. He was curious.

Kero hadn't been expecting Shugo to speak. He flinched slightly before turning around. "I – uh – since I was in middle school."

Shugo nodded. It would make sense that he had been doing it for a long time. He continued to watch, amazed as the picture started to form. He didn't understand how Kero could be making such a realistic picture out of nothing but _candy_. It was a portrait of a family. There was a mother and a father, a girl who looked like she was about fourteen and two older siblings the exact same height. Shugo instantly realized that one of the older siblings was Kero and standing beside him was what looked to be, a twin sister. They looked almost exactly alike, sharing the face shape, hair and eye color.

"Is this… your family?"

Kero stopped moving his hand over the painting. He paused, eyebrows now furrowing onto the image he had created before him.

"Y-yeah."

For the very first time, Shugo noticed other paintings piled up beside him. Some were of landscapes. Others of houses and people he may have known. But one shot out at Shugo before any of the others. The background was an angry shade of red. Over it was a picture of a man falling backwards, ripped black ribbons twisting in his wake. His hands clutched into fists. He was clothed in a bloody black shirt and pants, his dark hair waving around his face as he continued to drop. His skin was as white as snow, making the image pop against the red.

But the man's actual face was scribbled out. It looked as though it had been done out of anger because the marks were large and uneven, almost looking as though they could rip through the canvas. Shugo silently wondered what Kero could have used to do that.

"Who's that?" Shugo pointed, not able to contain the surprise within his voice. It was so unlike all of Kero's other paintings.

Kero froze. He looked to where Shugo pointed and his golden eyes instantly became dark. He looked away, continuing his current masterpiece. His back became as straight as a reed, his face cold.

"That," he whispered with unmistakable venom. "Is the real reason why I am here."


	14. The Host Club's Villians

a/n: Sorry that this chapter's kinda long. I try to limit it to ten pages each time but this one went a bit over. -__-; But I really wanted to fit all of this in here for this chapter. Sorry if it's kind of lame.

~:*:~

**Chapter 14: The Host Club's Villains**

~:*:~

"Oh… so… this was the girl who you and Tamaki found in the accident?"

"Yes."

"And… she's going to be working here? At our manor? To pay back for hospital expenses?"

"Yes."

"And you bought her clothes? Because she had none?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, Kyouya. Why didn't you just say so in the first place?"

"I would have but you burst into my bedroom and demanded an explanation, with the rage of a thousand suns."

"Yes, but if you had explained right away then I would have never gotten so upset Kyouya!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes, annoyed.

The three of them were all seated on one of his two couches, Fuyumi sitting between both Kyouya and Safira. Kyouya was leaned back in his seat and appeared to be completely at ease, one arm draped over the couch's armrest. Fuyumi sat up straight with one leg crossed over the other, tapping her chin in thought as she stared up at the ceiling with her large gray eyes, identical to her brother's.

Safira was completely stiff despite the sibling's tranquility. Her hands were balled into fists in her stone lap, shoulders so high that they hid her neck, head bent down, hair and bangs veiling her face and cheeks tomato red. She had not yet changed into any of the clothes that Kyouya bought for her.

"How are you going to tell father?" Fuyumi asked, after a small beat of silence. "He's going to be coming back soon."

Kyouya closed his eyes briefly. "I don't know, sis. I'll figure it out as I go. I don't think that he's going to have a problem with an addition to the staff."

"Yes, but when he finds out that you were hiding her in your bedroom and that she _ha__d_ to stay within the estate then… it may not go so well."

"It's only temporary. Until we can find out who she is."

"But who knows how long that will take," Fuyumi said. She sounded more like a worried mother than a scolding sister. She looked over to Kyouya, her eyebrows etched into a tiny frown. "I'm nervous, Kyouya. Though I think that your antics are noble I'm concerned on how hard father is going to be on you."

Kyouya frowned but did not reply. He was already well aware of what his father may say or do. It was something that he was trying to push aside. He did not want to think of such right now.

"It is my burden to bear, Fuyumi. Don't bother yourself with my problems."

Fuyumi sucked in a small breath. "You always have to do everything on your own. It wouldn't hurt for you to ask for help once in a while, Kyouya."

When he didn't respond she sighed, turning her attention to Safira. Safira seemed to have been able to feel Fuyumi's eyes on her because she slowly peeked a look at Kyouya's older sister. When she saw that Fuyumi was indeed staring at her, she let out a small squeak and turned her attention back onto the ground. In her lap, her hands twisted.

There was a small silence before Fuyumi broke it by flinging her arms around Safira's shoulders and hugging her tightly, beaming. "Aww! She's so cute!"

Kyouya turned, raising an eyebrow. "Fuyumi what are you –"

"If you want to marry her Kyouya, you have my permission. She's such a sweet girl!"

Safira was attempting to struggle out of Fuyumi's grasp, her cheeks burning pink. "N-no it's not like that – I – I –"

"Stop speaking nonsense, Fuyumi. And you're going to cut off her oxygen supply." Kyouya informed her bleakly. As he spoke he turned to face the wall in front of him, his face wiped clean of any emotion.

_Is she really related to me? Do we really have someone like this in our family?_

It only took that one bit of information for Fuyumi to release Safira. Fuyumi gave her a rueful little smile, tucking a strand of black hair from behind her ear.

"We should get you registered as an employee," Fuyumi said kindly. "I'm sorry for my outburst before. It's very unlike me to get so angry. I hope you can forgive me."

"Oh, no, no! It's perfectly alright!" Safira said, waving her arms around in panic. As she did so the oversized sleeves slipped down her arms, revealing more skin. Kyouya could hear Safira rambling on and on about how it was fine and probably natural for 'her big sisterly protective senses' to kick in, but Fuyumi seemed to have heard none of it. Instead, Kyouya noticed, she was staring wide-eyed at Safira's right arm.

Kyouya followed his sister's eyes, his own landing against a very prominent scar a little bit above Safira's right wrist. Two letters in English writing.

"Where did you get that?" Fuyumi asked gently. It was surprising how Safira could even hear his older sister, considering how soft her voice had been and Safira had still been loud during her rambling. The blonde stopped all speech, tilting her head in confusion.

Safira noticed where the two of them were staring and she turned her right arm around to face herself, brows furrowing. Her lips turned into a frown, sapphire eyes scanning over the writing in puzzlement.

"I don't know. I saw it once while I was in the shower but I can't read English."

"Let me see it again," Fuyumi said.

Safira hesitated before extending her arm, allowing Fuyumi and Kyouya full access. The way her arm was positioned reminded Kyouya of someone who may lay their arm out to draw blood. Fuyumi laid Safira's arm on her lap, running her fingers over the letters gingerly. It was indeed in English characters. Kyouya did very well in his English language class and so, the letters were easy enough for him to read.

"RK?" He read aloud sounding quiet lost. "What does that mean?"

He couldn't think of anything that would stand for something like _RK_. But for whatever the reason, seeing the scar made Kyouya feel anxious; even his stomach felt a bit uneasy. The scar made him think of the way livestock was branded.

"RK…" Fuyumi repeated in a low murmur. She studied the scar more closely, pushing her dark hair away from her face. "It looks as though it was carved very angrily into your skin, Safira-san."

Kyouya had realized that as well. The words were sharp, a little uneven and had been deep enough to leave a scar. It caused Kyouya to scowl, thoughts running all around within his head.

Had Safira done this to herself before she lost her memory? Or was this someone else's work?

"It looks like they are initials," Fuyumi said, tracing the words gently. "But of what? A company? Organization? A person?"

Safira was silent. When she spoke her voice was as soft as cotton, her beautiful blue eyes reaching up to meet Fuyumi and Kyouya's gray ones.

"I don't know."

~:*:~

The rest of the day went by swiftly. Fuyumi had been kind enough to allow Safira to share her room with her and since Kyouya had bought her new clothing, Safira had her own pajamas now. And earlier in the day they had finally gotten all the paperwork done with and Safira could start working early next morning.

Kyouya lay on his stomach over his bed. His laptop was sitting on the bed's edge, his long arms stretched out and fingers typing furiously over the keyboard.

If that girl was somehow related to Safira in the store, then maybe he could finally help her. And thus, get her out of his life.

He searched for younger children living within the district area he had been shopping in. He found many different kinds of families but none of them had children resembled the girl he had seen. However there was something that caught his eye, a foster family with the last name Hashimoto. According to the website they were currently taking care of thirteen children. The eldest child was fifteen, the youngest only a year old.

Kyouya didn't know what had pulled him to the family's website. Maybe it was because of the wounds he had seen on that child's arms and the foster care system was not exactly _kindhearted_ all the time. Maybe it was because that lady and that girl looked absolutely nothing alike. Whatever the reason, he searched onward.

The foster mother's name was Haruka Hashimoto and her husband, Jiro Hashimoto. Kyouya stared at the picture of the foster mother for a long while; his eyes suddenly alit with interest. There was no mistaking it; Haruka was definitely the woman from the store. But on this website she appeared to be much kinder. However, Kyouya could not help but notice something malevolent within those eyes of hers, even if she was smiling in the picture.

He felt a small swoop in his stomach. Maybe his luck was finally coming back.

He scrolled down, looking for anything that the website might have on the foster children. However, he quickly found something that read in big bold letters: Click Here to View Our Adorable Foster Children!!!

Kyouya felt his eyes narrow. The logo strongly reminded him of something that he might find on a pet shop's website. It was as if these people were selling up these children for advertisement.

Kyouya clicked on the link anyway, determined to find out something about the little girl. The link took him to a page with pictures of each of the children with a little bit of information. He scrolled down until he finally found what he was looking for.

There was a tiny picture of the young girl, a large goofy smile plastered over her face and two lime green ribbons in her fair blonde hair. Kyouya clicked to enlarge the image and information.

He was absolutely certain that this girl was the same one he had seen. There was no mistake. They were identical.

He turned his attention away from the image and onto the bit of information.

**Name:** _Lily Sa-_

At once Kyouya's computer was bombarded with all different kinds of ads. They came fast and in large bubbles by the hundreds, too fast for him to stop or exit out of. They completely covered anything Kyouya wanted to view, causing him to growl.

He pressed Ctrl Alt Delete with immense ferocity.

At once the screen turned into static like how it would on a TV. Thousands of tiny black and white dots absorbed the screen, causing Kyouya to stare momentarily stupefied. It wasn't until his computer turned completely black did he break out of his shock.

Kyouya felt his eyes narrow. He readjusted his glasses with his pointer finger, closing his laptop with a tight 'snap'.

Obviously this person really did not want Safira to be found. A real hacker was at work here. Kyouya seriously doubted that the website would load if he were to try getting onto it again.

This was really getting on his nerves. Why was this person trying to hide Safira? He knew more than ever that, that little girl – or Lily as he now understood it – was somehow connected to Safira. If she wasn't then he wouldn't have had such a hard time finding out more about her.

But what if it all was just a fluke?

_I don't know anything about this girl, Lily. What if she's not related to Safira at all and something is just wrong with my computer or the site? I could just be blowing this entire thing out of proportion._

Either way… if he was right or wrong about Lily…

Should he tell her? Should he ever even mention it? If he was wrong, he could only be giving her false hope. False hope that she had someone waiting for her out there. But she had mentioned once before that she thought that she had a sister.

_No._ He finally decided. He would not tell Safira until he was absolutely positive that Lily was somehow connected to her. He would find away. Somehow, he would.

Kyouya had promised himself that he would try looking up Safira's profile again. That perhaps, there was a password he could hack into. He reopened his laptop, determined once more. However in the end it all deemed useless. He hacked into an ID theft website and attempted to bring back any files that others might have deleted. But there were more cases of ID theft than he had originally thought, and even if he came close all of the passwords that he tried using were wrong.

Fed up and exhausted, Kyouya placed his laptop on the night stand before getting up, brushing his teeth, and then changing into his pajamas. Safira was with Fuyumi tonight so that meant that he could sleep in his own bed.

He crawled into the covers and took off his glasses, placing them beside his laptop. His eyes felt heavy as if they were being worn down by maple syrup. He breathed in and out, his eyes fluttering to a close. Tonight he felt at ease. Calm. His bed felt warmer and softer than normal.

He could smell something unusual within his bed sheets. He couldn't quite place his finger on _what_, other than that he loved the smell of it. Kyouya sighed, burying his head further into the pillows and sheets as if trying to become closer to the enticing aroma.

The scent reminded him of lilacs and vanilla, filling his head with dizzy thoughts of summer. Kyouya exhaled, breathing it in deeper.

Breathing her in…

~:*:~

"Mea?"

Mea lifted her head at the sound of Karin's faint voice from underneath the wood. She shifted in her shambles, pressing her back hard against the cool wall from behind her. Unconsciously, she felt herself shiver.

"Yeah?" Mea rasped. Her throat burned for water. She hadn't had anything to drink all day. Her tongue felt like it was made out of sand and her throat burned whenever she took a breath, spoke a word. But Mea knew that it was much worse inside that coffin. Dehydration came faster, starvation came sooner, and claustrophobia was an instant.

Death was the slowest to approach.

Karin sounded horrible. Mea remembered what it was like inside her own box. The very thought caused her heart to race. How much longer until he would come down for Karin? She could hear him upstairs. Pacing. Whispering. She flinched at the sound of shattering glass…

"Me… Me…a…" Karin breathed. "Do you… do you think…"

She paused, straining to breathe. Mea could hear Karin attempting to move about within the box, straining to lift up her face to the cracks in the wood for air. After a while, she spoke again.

"Do you think she will forgive me?"

Mea stared blankly into the darkness. She had absolutely no comprehension to what Karin was talking about. She licked her dry lips to moisten them, staring into the small boxy figure on the ground.

"Who?" Mea inquired.

"Your friend," Karin whispered. "I hurt her. I hurt her so badly in school. I… I was cruel to her. In the end… she was hurt because of me… wasn't she? Her whole family. You. You're all hurting… because of me."

Mea heard Karin choke out a tiny sob. In the silence it steadily grew louder and louder. The dark-haired girl closed her blue eyes, leaning her head back against the wall. How could she word this? She did not like Karin. She never liked her. But right now, Karin was dying. She was steadily fading, even now. Soon he would come to place her in the ground. Even though Mea couldn't stand her, even though Mea had her share of hateful thoughts towards the woman, Mea understood that in Karin's last final moments she wanted to repent.

Even so… Mea did not believe that Karin was to be held responsible for any of this.

"Karin," Mea finally spoke, her voice stronger than what it was before. She moved her head so that it was facing forward again, blue eyes soft as liquid in the night. "You can't blame yourself for what he's done. He's the one who decided to do this to us. Not you."

"But… but I started it. If I hadn't… if I hadn't made fun of her… if I hadn't pressured her into… She felt like she had no one else to turn too." Karin's tears took over her words. Mea breathed slowly. "She went to him because of me!"

"You can't blame yourself for other people's decisions." Mea said. "You didn't ask for him to hurt us."

Mea could hear Karin scratching against the lid. Her nails dug into the wood, scraping. But this time the clawing was harder. It sounded as if she wasn't trying to break free from the coffin but carve something into it. Mea was curious but did not question.

Suddenly, Karin stopped scratching.

"Will she? Will she forgive me?" Karin asked. Her voice was striped with rust and sorrow. "Tell her. Tell her when you find her. I'm sorry. I'm so… so sorry."

Mea was silent. If Mea was her friend, she couldn't be sure that she _could_ forgive Karin. Even though it wasn't entirely Karin's fault, she had still played a part. If she were her best friend, she would probably hold onto her anger until it scorched her skin and burned her fist into ashes.

Until the fire spread from her hand and consumed her whole.

But her friend… she was a different person from Mea. That's why, she loved her so much.

"She would," Mea said softly. "I know she would."

"Then tell her," Karin wheezed. "Tell her I'm sorry when you meet her."

Mea didn't know if that was possible. She didn't know if it was certain that she _would_ ever see her best friend again. Right now, seeing anyone that she loved again was like a far off dream. A fairytale even. How long had it been since she had seen the sun? How long had it been since she felt the grass from underneath her bare feet?

She had forgotten the feeling of warmth. The cold of this basement had frozen her bones and filled her soul up with ice. She could only see twilight here. She could barely remember the very _color_ of summer.

Even so…

"I'll tell her," Mea replied firmly. "You have my word."

She was going to get out of here. She was going to be a survivor. And once she did she was going to embrace her best friend, spend more time with her parents and her little sister, get higher grades, and appreciate the world's simplest things. Once she was free she was going to tell Shugo just exactly how she felt.

_And if I die here I'll tell her in the next life. I'll tell her how sorry you were in your last moments, Karin_.

"Thank you." Karin said gently. "Th-thank you…"

The two women froze at the sound of a door squeaking open. A silver light sliced down the through the center of the staircase. A tall shadow of a man was soon in the center of the sliver of light. Mea felt pure terror twist inside her chest, her stomach filling up with a thousand knots.

The scratching against the heavy wooden lid became more frantic. Harder. She could hear Karin weeping from within her confinement. Mea tried to break from her chains as he proceeded down the stairs, each step slow and steady as though he were doing it on purpose to anticipate them.

"Mea!" Karin screamed. "Mea! Tell my parents! When you get out of here, tell them who did this to me!"

Mea swallowed, hard. It felt as if there was a stone lodged in her throat. She tried to speak but she couldn't form words. She tugged and pulled at her chains until they cut into her wrists, making her bleed.

He chuckled when he finally came into view. "When she gets out of here?" He repeated, amused. "What a foolish thing to hope for, Karin."

Mea watched in absolute horror as he picked up the coffin by where Karin's feet probably were. Mea could still hear her scratching, tearing away at the top with her fingernails. He held that same terrible grin as he hoisted her up the stairs, sneering as Mea attempted to penetrate through her bonds.

"I WILL!" Mea screamed after them. "I PROMISE! I PROMISE YOU THAT I'M GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE, KARIN! I PROMISE! I'LL TELL THEM – I'LL TELL THEM!"

The final sound before the door slammed was of his mad laughter, piercing through her. His cold, spine-tingling laughter.

Mea tried to breathe but she couldn't. Tears streamed down her face and dribbled down her chin. She pulled herself as far away from the wall she could get, her head bowed as she wept. Her Best Friend's necklace dangled from around her neck.

Her body felt numb. And his laughter was still ringing in her ears.

~:*:~

_The Next Morning._

"Well I'm off then," Haruhi stated brightly after a morning breakfast with her father. She rose to a stand, thanking her father quickly for the meal. She was already dressed in her school uniform so it wasn't as if she needed to hover.

She had just made it to the door when her father said something that made Haruhi freeze.

"He's killed another one."

Haruhi turned, appearing surprised. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Ranka flattened the newspaper onto the table, his eyebrows wrinkled in both concern and thought. His hair was held up and he was still in his pajamas, just a T-shirt and some comfy pants and socks. His chin still had razor stubble on it because he had not yet gotten around to shaving, his eyes scanning over the newspaper.

"There have been many girls found dead lately, Haruhi. According to this newspaper the serial killer kidnaps the women according to age and then buries them alive. They recently just found another seventeen year old girl buried several cities away from ours. Apparently, her name was Karin Okada."

Haruhi felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine. She didn't recognize the name but the very thought of someone being able to kill all those women made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Th-that's horrible, Dad."

"They say that the next one is going to be a fourteen year old, and he'll slowly make his way back to seventeen." Ranka said somberly.

Haruhi swallowed.

Ranka looked up from the paper, his face carved in all seriousness.

"That is why Haruhi… that I…" He rose from the table and walked over to his daughter, placing both hands over her shoulders. Haruhi stared up at him with her large brown eyes, confused. "I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO WALK TO SCHOOL ALONE ANYMORE!"

"Aaaahh!"

"DADDY WON'T ALLOW HIS PRECIOUS DAUGHTER TO GET KIDNAPPED AND THEN TAKEN TO SOME WEIRD SERIAL KILLERS HOUSE FOR HIM TO BURRY YOU! DON'T YOU WORRY HARUHI! DADDY IS GOING TO PROTECT YOU!"

Before Haruhi could even reply, her father had released her and turned around pulling out his cell phone from inside his pocket. He quickly dialed a number and then waited as it rang, one hand placed on his hip and face set in all seriousness.

"Hello? Oh, Kyouya! I'm so glad that you answered!" Ranka cooed to his utmost delight. "I was just wondering since there's been so many of those serial killings going around, if someone from the Host Club would be kind enough to pick up my darling Haruhi and take her to school – Yes? Yeah – alright! Sounds perfect! Thank you so much, Kyouya!"

He hung up the phone with a dreamy smile. "Aah. Kyouya would make such a fine president," he sighed.

"Dad! What's going on?" Haruhi demanded angrily. "I have to get to school!"

Ranka turned around, appearing hurt by Haruhi's sudden fury. "Daddy just called and asked Kyouya if someone from the Host Club could pick you up, sweetie. Why are you so mad? I just wanna make sure that you're safe!"

"Yeah, but whose going to come and –"

The sound of sudden screeching tires from the outside was clearly heard, causing both of them to stop all movement. Following the tires came the heavy trod of footsteps approaching closer and closer to their front door. Just then the door flew wide open, causing both Haruhi and Ranka to jump back, eyes wide with shock.

Tamaki-senpai was standing directly within Haruhi's doorway, his violet eyes sharp and his eyebrows furrowed to create a very stern face.

"HARUHI! I REFUSE TO LET YOU TO WALK TO SCHOOL ALONE!" Tamaki yelled from within the threshold. He thrust the news clipping Haruhi's father had been reading to her this morning straight underneath her nose, grasping her shoulder and shaking her madly. "Do you know what this means?? He's killed a seventeen year old and next he's going after a fourteen year old! After that it's a fifteen year old! Haruhi! You're fifteen! You could be in grave danger! I won't allow it! Never! From now on… DADDY'S TAKING YOU TO SCHOOL!"

"YOU SCUM!" Ranka was now stepping on Tamaki's head, his eyes flashing in a terrifying rage. "When I asked Kyouya to send someone to protect my Haruhi – You were the very last person to come to mind!"

"Dad! Stop it!"

"Noooo!" Tamaki cried, wailing in pain from underneath Ranka's mighty foot. "I – I just want to proteeecctt heerrr! And Kyouya didn't tell me anything! I came here on my own, after I read the newspaper! Please! Have mercy! Haruhiiiii! Hellppp meeee!"

"SILENCE YOU PEST! AND STOP ADDRESSING MY DAUGHTER WITH SUCH INFORMALITY!"

Haruhi stared at the two of them, deadpan.

Today was going to last forever. Haruhi could tell.

~:*:~

"Oh, Tamaki! You look so dashing! I just can't keep my eyes off you."

"Then do not look away, my princess. Let your eyes feast off every inch of me."

"But I'm afraid that all of the other girls would hate me for keeping you all to myself. If my eyes took in everything there was about you – oh! I couldn't handle it!"

Tamaki cupped the young woman's chin and tilted her head upwards. He smiled his dazzling smile, sparkles appearing from all around his flawless face.

"My dear… God has placed me upon this earth so that beautiful young women like yourself would observe it and find happiness from it. It would be a shame for God's work to be shunned by your eyes, princess."

"Tamaki…"

"I don't get it. Who came up with this? I really don't see how Disney Villians could be such a big hit." Haruhi stated blandly. "I mean I'm thankful that I don't have to dress up as Scar or the Sea Witch or anything, but I'd like to see a day when one of _you_ guys get picked to dress up as a girl."

"I don't see the problem," Kyouya replied without looking up from his notebook. He was scribbling down something about the cost of the costumes. "You are a woman after all."

Kyouya was fully clad as Jafar. He wore a full-length robe of black and red, and a cape the color of midnight that was attached to his shoulders. He had the traditional turban on his head with a drape and red feather. He laid his left hand lazily over the head of his serpent-themed staff, gleaming in its golden splendor from the sunlight pouring in from the window. With his other hand he attempted to continue to write in his notebook.

"Yeah, but everyone _else_ thinks that I'm a boy. And I haven't been into Disney movies since I was a kid. This was Tamaki-senpai's idea, wasn't it?"

"Mm. Yeah." Kyouya said absentmindedly. "You should be thankful. Next week's cosplay is Lord of the Rings. The idea belonged to Tamaki as well, of course."

Haruhi looked as though she had just swallowed something bitter. She looked away, glaring at whatever was next to her, clearly unhappy with next weeks cosplay. "Oh… great…" She grumbled.

Haruhi was dressed as The Evil Queen from Snow White. She wore a very long purple dress with a red sash tied around the middle, and a flowing black cape. Haruhi also had an enormous white collar from around her neck, and a golden crown placed justly on her head. Sighing, she readjusted the crown.

"I think that Tamaki-senpai should've been The Evil Queen," Haruhi informed Kyouya. "He's the vainest person here."

"Yeah, but Gaston is also a pretty conceited character of Disney, don't you think? Besides, it suits him more."

"Yeah, but I'm the one who has to wear this ridiculous outfit!" Haruhi griped.

"Hey! I can hear you both over there!" Tamaki yelled from across the room, cupping his hands over his mouth so that his voice would be heard loudly. "And for the record I AM NOT CONCEITED!"

"Yeah. You just try to find your face in any kind of reflective surface you walk by." Haruhi grumbled.

"That is not true! I'll have you know that I – Oh, what kind of tea is this? I see that my eyes are sparkling so beautifully within its liquid mirror! A pure lovely image of a creation of God Himself! Kyouya! Make sure to mark down that we want more of this tea!"

"Certainly." Kyouya said, making a quick mark in his book.

Despite Haruhi's obvious annoyance it would be a lie to say that Tamaki did not look handsome in his costume. Like Gaston he wore a bright red tunic that was slightly opened at the neck, revealing a tiny bit of his chest. Equipped with the rest of the outfit was a matching pair of golden gloves, black leggings, a belt with a large buckle and boots. From around his back he had a quiver with fake arrows inside them. Tamaki was obviously wearing some kind of blonde extensions because his hair was held in a slightly loose ponytail. If it was worn down, it would have probably brushed his shoulders.

Kyouya heard Haruhi grumble something about how her costume was itchy, pulling at the neck of her costume with a slight huff.

He always thought that it was amazing how Tamaki could be in one place and suddenly appear on the other side of the room. Within seconds the Host Club King was standing behind Haruhi, holding a hopeful grin. His violet eyes shone brightly with wishful optimism as he held up a little blue and yellow dress, reaching it over Haruhi's shoulder and waving it back and forth.

"What the hell is that?" Haruhi demanded, already suspicious.

"What does it look like, Haruhi? It's Snow White! You are much to kind hearted to be the Evil Queen! Daddy wants you to dress up in this sweet little costume!" Tamaki said in a fatherly coo, twirling so that he may face her. "Please? Please? Daddy wants you to wear it!"

"No." Haruhi refused flatly. "I'd rather be dressed up in _this_ than wear something so stupid like _that_."

"Dwaaaah!" Tamaki squeaked, stricken by Haruhi's rejection.

"Aw. Come now Haruhi," the twins said, appearing out of the nothingness from behind Tamaki. They placed both arms on either side of Tamaki's shoulders, holding identical mischievous smirks. "Don't be such a downer."

"We're curious. You're always dressed in male costumes."

"It's only once in a while when we get to do cosplay like this, do we get to see you as a girl."

"So go ahead!" They said together. "Try it on!"

The twins were both dressed as Captain Hook. They wore a long matching coat that came all the way down to their knees, with gold trim along the front and additional lace trimmed cuffs and jabots. Atop their heads was the infamous large hat and feather, with a sword placed against their hips and a hook on both their right hands.

"No. Get that thing away from me." Haruhi snapped. "There's no way you'll ever get me into that."

"Oh, yeah?" said the twins. "We'll just see about that."

Haruhi instantly realized that she made a horrible mistake by claiming that they would never be able to get her into that stupid dress. Her face turned pale white and her limbs seemed to have locked in place, horrified as Hikaru and Kaoru snatched the dress from Tamaki and slowly made their way towards her with evil grins.

"Aaah! No! Get back – stay away from me!" Haruhi screamed, turning on heel and running as fast as her short legs could carry her.

The twins called after her, chasing her with equal speed. Tamaki was whining but nevertheless he was sprinting after her as well, his arm out stretched towards her with dramatic tears of woe running down his face.

"Wee! A chase! It's kinda like tag, isn't it Takashi?" Honey exclaimed. The Lolita-shota made a large spin, causing his large kingly red cape to twist with his movements.

"Yeah," Mori replied simply.

Honey was supposed to be Prince John from Robin Hood. The Host Club had a hard time deciding on what was right for Honey-senpai, simply because they could never exactly picture him as being anyone exceedingly evil. All the villains they tried to imagine him as, did not fit. In the end Tamaki had chosen Prince John because in the cartoon he tended to be a very 'mild' villain, not necessarily mean or scary.

Honey's outfit was so large that it trailed after him on the ground. It was mostly just a very large red cape that buttoned from the inside on the front, with a large fluffy white fur trailing at the bottom and front. A gigantic golden crown loaded with jewels was over Honey's blonde head, but it was much too big for him.

Mori-senpai was dressed as Shan Yu. He wore the ripped tan and black Chinese outfit that the villain wore in the movie, and black boots. Mori had a replica of Shan Yu's sword as well, sheathed against his back.

Kyouya had sat down by this point, searching the database once again for that Foster Family. Just as he suspected he couldn't even get onto their profile anymore. He growled out a large sigh, wracking his brain to think of something. There had to be a way. There just had to be…

"It's really hard to hold her with a hook for a hand," Hikaru said from somewhere afar. Probably from within the dressing room.

"Yeah, it is. Boss you hold her."

"W-what? I can't do that!"

"Shut UP! I'm changing _by myself_. Now GET OUT!"

Kyouya looked up at the sight of Haruhi throwing out all three of them at the same time, raising his eyebrows as they all tumbled out into the main floor. Tamaki's guests were practically crying because Tamaki had left them for so long and so he quickly morphed back into his princely self, swooping down upon his kittens with an elegant toss of his bangs and practically glittering.

"Eh. Now what? We know that she's going to take her sweet time changing in there." Kaoru said, already sounding bored. "She doesn't want to change in the first place so she's gonna make us wait."

Hikaru shrugged. He also appeared to be bored, his eyes searching around the room for something to do. In a few moments his golden eyes lit up as an idea struck him. Smiling his troublesome smile, he turned to his twin and whispered something quickly into his ear. Kaoru grinned by the time Hikaru finished explaining his plot, the wheels of thought quickly beginning to turn within both their scheming minds.

"Oi! Kyouya-senpai!"

Kyouya looked up from his laptop at the sound of him being summoned. He raised both eyebrows, distrustful. "What is it?"

"Can you come here for a second? There's something that we have to tell you."

Kyouya's face was painted in the highest form of suspicion and disbelief. It was as if there was a little red flag waving somewhere in his mind, telling him that it would be best to stay as far away from the troublesome duo as possible.

"I'm fine here, thanks." He said, his voice laced with sugar and plastering a fake smile against his lips. "If there's something you need to tell me then you can come here." Kyouya returned his attention back to his laptop, attempting to ignore them.

"Aw! C'mon Kyouya!" The twins pleaded.

"No, I'm great over here. Besides: you're much too far away."

In actuality, it would have only taken Kyouya a few steps. But he knew that if he got up, he would regret it.

"Get up you bum."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Again… too far."

"LIES!"

After much arguing back and forth, Kyouya began to run out of excuses and patience. He was annoyed and apprehensive about the whole situation, but unwillingly he rose from his chair and grabbed onto his Jafar-themed-staff, completely ready to beat the two of them with it as soon as he met up with them.

However he had only made it halfway there when suddenly he heard it.

The song _Arabian Night _began to play at full blast as he made his way over. No doubt that the twins had planned for him to walk as the song was playing to make it appear as though it were his own personal theme song. The twins were laughing hysterically, and Kyouya noticed a small portable CD player at their feet. Tears were practically falling from their eyes, holding up one another to maintain balance because they were laughing so hard.

"I-I can't believe he actually came!"

"I'm going to die! Th-that's too rich. Hah, hah –"

Hikaru and Kaoru's laughter was cut off at once as Kyouya slammed the head of his staff into the CD player. There was a loud and horrifying crunch as bits and pieces of the player shot out, sparking menacingly. The twins froze with their heads turned downward, gaping at the now crushed object.

"Hey! You're going to have to pay for that you know!" They said after finally finding their voices.

"Oh, I think not. You see it belongs to the Host Club. So in all actuality, it was just as mine as it was yours."

"You're no fun, Kyouya-senpai." Kaoru said.

"Yeah. We actually really _did_ want to talk to you about something."

Kyouya arched an eyebrow. "Which is…?"

"You know Jafar isn't really Jafar without his faithful parrot. Here you can wear it on your shoulder!" Hikaru said with a smile suddenly waving a red Iago doll that came completely out of midair.

Kyouya frowned at it. "Why are you two always constantly trying to give me a bird?"

"It's not a bird! It's _Iago_!" Karou interjected, as if the fact made a huge difference.

"Yeah, he's awesome. C'mon. You know you wanna wear it!" Hikaru said as he waved the parrot in front of Kyouya as if it were a piece of candy.

Kyouya's face was wiped clean of any sort of emotion. "Sorry. But I'll pass."

"But it's Jafar's trusty sidekick! You can't go around being Jafar without him!"

Wordlessly Kyouya smacked each of the twins over the head with the golden staff, making the two of them cry out in both surprise and pain. Simultaneously, they clutched the top of their heads, groaning.

"Oh, I assure you that I can." Kyouya replied coolly. He then turned away with a wave of his black cape.

_I should bring this staff around more often_, Kyouya thought to himself. He cupped his chin in consideration. _Mmm… yes. The idea has merit._

~:*:~

a/n: Well I hope people liked this chapter. I finally finished at 4:00 in the morning so some parts probably suck. D: (I can't think when I'm tired lol.)

The reason Kyouya's bed smelled all good to him was because Safira slept there the night before and so her scent lingered. xD Just in case people didn't get that lol. Writing that really made me crave for vanilla ice cream. . And Safira will be in the next chapter more. She wasn't in this one very much so sorry about that.

I love Disney! Disney! Disney! :DD I had add it in lol. I could picture Kyouya as Jafar so well for some reason. I dunno. Maybe it's just me? Jafar is just so scheming and he was rated as number 2 for the best Disney villain, so I thought – cheya! Kyouya! (Maleficent was number 1.) I thought Scar would fit him too but I tried to keep everyone human lol. Honey doesn't count because his character walks on two legs. . That's my logic.

And yeah, the little girl was Lily. ^^ Big old star for my Beta~! x]

Ugh. I'm so tired. I'm totally sleeping in. Hope you all liked it. *Goes off to bed and drags Kyouya along with her.*


	15. Drunks, Carnivals and Merits

a/n: Thank you everyone for all the reviews and author alerts and such. ^^ And to my awesome Beta! I won't be here for a while. I'm going to Chicago to go to the zoo and to see the Harry Potter exhibit! xD So I leave you with these chapters until I return. I hope you enjoy them.

~:*:~

**Chapter 15: Drunks, Carnivals and Merits**

~:*:~

Most of the other maids working within the Ootori mansion were in their late twenties or somewhere in their thirties. This automatically nominated Safira as the youngest member of the staff.

"_Just whistle while you work_! _And cheerfully together we can tidy up the plaaaaace_! _So hum a merry tune_, _it won't take long when there's a song to help you set the_ _pllllllaaaaccceeee_~!"

The fellow maids watched Safira sweep the kitchen floor with pinched expressions, feet rooted to the ground and hands wrapped tight around their own broomsticks. There was only one maid who didn't seem to be affected by Safira's song, a younger looking maid who hummed to Safira's very off-key tune and swayed back and forth in one place.

"S-she's like a fairytale princess!" One finally said. She was very short and round, appearing to be in her early thirties, with light brown hair tied up in a firm bun. She turned her head back and forth between two large open windows inside the kitchen, as if waiting for a flock of birds or animals to start marching in through pane. "What are we going to do if Ootori-sama comes home and there are bluebirds and squirrels everywhere! We'll all get fired!"

Another maid gave her friend a weird glance. She was a lot taller and skinnier than her friend, with short chestnut hair that came to her chin and toffee-colored eyes. "What the – what are you _talking_ about?"

"Eh? Oh… never mind."

"She's horrible. Horrible. What should we do?" The skinny one exclaimed. "She can't sing at all! My ears are bleeding!"

"I love this song," the one humming and swaying piped. She had long wavy golden brown hair and green eyes. "I sing it all the time with my kids at home! Snow White is one our favorites."

"_And as you sweep the room_! _Imagine that the broom is someone that you love, and soon you'll be dancing to the tuuunnnneee_!"

"Aaaahh! I can't take it anymore! Suzume, you hold her down and I'll beat her with the broom." The skinny one growled.

"Yeah, great plan Mio. So when Ootori-sama comes home, he'll find her knocked out on his kitchen floor. Awesome." The chubby one (Suzume) growled sarcastically.

"Okay fine. Not the best of plans," the one called Mio said. "Then let's at least find a sock to gag her. Hey – where did Rima go? AAAH!"

Mio froze in absolute horror at the sight of Rima (the one had been humming and dancing to Safira's song), joining Safira in her merry little tune, spinning and twirling as she swept the floor.

"_Just whistle while you work_! _Put on that grin and start right in to whistle loud and looonnnngg_! _Just hum a meeerrryyy tunnnee_!"

"Kill me. Now. Please. I am not seeing this." Mio whispered each syllable in horror.

"The animals… I know they are going to approach at any second. Maybe we should get a rifle?" Suzume suggested. She was completely serious but also a bit unsure about her defense tactics. "I hope no foxes come. That would be terrifying."

"What are you babbling on and on about?" Mio snapped. "_Foxes_?"

"She's a reincarnation of Snow White! I know she is!" Suzume raved madly. "Any second the animals are going to start coming and helping her clean the whole mansion!"

"If she was Snow White she would have a beautiful voice!" Mio argued. "And that is most certainly not a beautiful voic-"

"_JUST DO YOU'RE BEST AND TAKE A REST AND SING YOURSELF A SONG_!"

"Ahhhh." Mio screamed. "Make it stop!"

"I wonder if she'll summon any deer here…"

"Moron! If the animals had any sense they would turn and run in the other direction!" Mio cried.

"Oh, you're singing Snow White? Mind if I join?" Fuyumi asked sweetly, appearing from behind the corner. "It's been so long since I've seen everyone so lively like this."

Mio struggled to speak, completely frozen in front of Ootori-sama's daughter. "N-no Fuyumi-sama! You don't have to burden yourself with something like this! J-just leave it to –"

"Yeah! We'd love the help!" Safira answered for her, her voice ringing like high pitched silver bells.

"Thank you, Safira-san." Fuyumi said graciously. "Well since you have the sweeping thing down, I'll do the dishes."

"Okay," Safira and Rima chorused brightly.

"Nooo! Fuyumi-sama that's unnecessary! Let me do it!" Mio pleaded. "You should be sitting down or reading! Don't bother yourself with our work!"

"But it would be fun," Fuyumi said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah! Fun!" Rima agreed, throwing an enthusiastic fist into the air. "_Just whistle while you work_!_ And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place_!"

"Well… let me help you Fuyumi-sama," Suzume said, walking over next to the dishwasher. As she did so she eyed the window, making sure that no chipmunks were planning on entering.

"Oh, look! We have pink soap bubbles! Let's use that!" Fuyumi suggested.

"Yay! Pink!" Safira and Rima cheered.

"NO! That could ruin the china!" Mio cried.

But it was too late. Fuyumi had already poured it into the sink and was scrubbing the plates and cups beside Suzume, who was doing the same and help loading the dishwasher.

"Ugh… that's it…" Mio moaned. She began making her way towards the opposite direction. "I can't take this anymore…"

"Huh? Mio? Where are you going?" Suzume inquired from the sink, up to her elbows in pink dish soap.

"I'm going down to get some booze," Mio said blackly. "If I have to work with that singing and dancing forest elf all day, then I'm going to have to be drunk."

~:*:~

"Kyouuuyyaaa!

Kyouya turned. He had just been about to walk out the door, his hand placed over the handle. Tamaki was running after him, waving his arms in the air like a complete lunatic. He waited patiently for Tamaki to catch up.

"Yes?" Kyouya asked curtly. He really wanted to get home.

"I forgot to tell you Kyouya, but tonight we're going to a commoner's carnival!" Tamaki said excitedly. "There's going to be a Ferris wheel! And music! And commoners! And commoner stands! And rides! And commoners! And rides! And… _commoners_!"

"I decline wholeheartedly," Kyouya replied honestly, with a dazzling and obvious mask of a smile.

"_What_?" Tamaki yelped, completely discouraged. "How can you say no? This is a chance to let loose from our duties as Hosts! It's so tiring to constantly have to be beautiful. This is our time to relax and have fun! Don't you want to spend time with your fellow hosts?"

"No, not really."

Tamaki released a dramatic gasp. "N-not really?" He repeated, bemused. "How could you be so brutally honest? How? Kyouuuyyaaa!"

Kyouya watched with an expression as blank as paper as Tamaki ran into a random dark corner, pouting.

"Aww! But Kyou-chan! It'll be a lot of fun," Honey said from atop of Mori's shoulders.

The rest of the Host Club had been approaching as Tamaki had extended his invitation and now they were all standing before him, trying to convince him to go.

"There's gonna be lots and lots of cotton candy!" Honey added, drooling a little bit at the thought. "And caramel apples, and popcorn, and lemonade, and funnel cakes and _all _kinds of sweet stuff!"

"I've heard that the rides are supposed to be fun but not as high quality as an amusement park." Kaoru said.

"But that should just make it all the more interesting," Hikaru added. "And plus Haruhi will be coming with us, so it'll make it even more fun if we have a commoner with us to shed her wisdom."

Haruhi was indeed coming with. But both the twins had their arms linked with hers and with no intention of releasing her. This was obviously a forced invite. Her face was bland but agitated, glaring at her captors.

"I haven't been to a carnival since I was six! I don't have a desire to go again!" She grumbled.

"Thanks, but I have to check on our newest staff member. It's her first time working today and I'm a bit concerned." Kyouya stated truthfully.

"You mean Safira?" The twins asked together.

"Yeah."

The duo gave him a suspicious glance. "And your worried becaauusssee?"

"Not about her. I'm more concerned about how the rest of the staff will have handled her." Kyouya hadn't forgotten the incident of Safira's first morning at the mansion. She had been singing, and atrociously too. He couldn't help but wonder if she would be driving the other maids to suicide if she had decided to sing and dance while working.

"Well then there's an obvious solution to your problem, senpai."

Kyouya felt his eyes narrow. "And that would be?"

"Bring her along!" They chorused joyfully.

~:*:~

When Kyouya entered the estate, followed by Tamaki and the rest of the club a horrible high-pitched voice was filling up the entire mansion causing each of them to cringe involuntarily.

"What is _that_?" Hikaru demanded, covering his ears with his hands.

"I don't know. But it sounds like a deranged harpy." Kaoru exclaimed.

"Aaaahh! Takashi! It's hurting my ears!" Honey whined from his shoulders, plastering his hands over them. But Mori seemed too immobilized by his own hearing loss to be able to help Honey-senpai.

"It's alright men! We'll – we'll just have to bear it. This is only a minor trial in our adventure to reach the carnival of the commoner's world!" Tamaki said loudly over the singing. "All we need to do is proceed in finding Safira and we will be free of this monstrous noise!"

The twins and Honey saluted him while Mori stood frozen solid and Haruhi was busying herself with trying to sneak out the front door, but Hikaru snatched her by the fabric of her shirt just as she was inches away from the door, preventing her from going anywhere. She moaned as though she were going through some sort of horrendous torture, hands still outstretched towards freedom.

"Why God? Why are you doing this to me?" Haruhi implored the ceiling, appearing desperate for an answer to just drop down from the sky.

Kyouya stood in place pushing up his glasses with his index finger. The movement caused his eyewear to glare, his face remaining expressionless.

"I knew this would happen," he finally said, his voice almost sounding ominous. "That girl…"

She was going to be the death of him.

Without another word to the others he marched forward, determined to find her. It wasn't that hard. All he had to do was follow her out-of-tune voice that got louder and louder with each step he took. He could feel the others following behind him and hear Haruhi attempting to break free from the twins' clutches. Within a few seconds, the voice – or as he realized now, _voices_ – lead him into the kitchen.

"_As we all sing a happy little working song_~! _Merry little voices clear and strrroonngg_!"

Kyouya halted so fast that Tamaki ended up bumping into his shoulder, which caused a domino affect of the twins and Haruhi running into him, and then Mori and Honey into the other three.

"Come and roll your sleeves up, so that we can pitch in! Cleaning crud up in the kitchen, as we sing alooonngg."

Safira was twirling and dancing with a broomstick along side with one of the other maids, known as Rima. Fuyumi and a maid with the surname Suzume were both washing the dishes in baby pink bubble soap. Kyouya couldn't help but notice that his sister seemed far too enthusiastic about doing the dishes. However the last maid, a woman called Mio was wiping off the counters and seemed very unstable as she walked around, wobbling as she moved and taking huge swigs straight out of a wine bottle every few seconds to block out Safira and Rima's singing.

"Kill me…" Mio groaned. "Drown me in my misery, good old bottle of Brandy!" And with that she took another large drink.

_That bottle had better not have c__o__me from our wine cellar_, Kyouya thought as he passed Mio a very disapproving glance. _Even if Safira and Rima are driving her to becoming an alcoholic, I would prefer her not to take my father's possessions without permission_.

Kyouya coughed loudly, trying to get Safira's attention. However she didn't seem to hear him, continuing her song. But Rima noticed Kyouya and his guests straight away freezing with her broomstick in hand.

"Kyouya-sama! Welcome home!" Rima glanced over to Safira. The blonde was still in her own Disney-princess mode, whirling and dancing with a far off smile and sparkling blue eyes.

"_How we all enjoy letting loose with a little, La-da-da-dum-dum_~!"

"Psst. Safira-chan," Rima whispered frantically, pathetically trying to capture her attention. "Safira!"

"_While we're emptying the vacu-um, It's such fun to hum happy working song! Oo-ooh_!"

"Safira!"

"_A happy working sooooonnnn_-"

Rima lightly punched Safira in the shoulder, causing the young woman to almost lose her hold on the broom, scrambling to keep it from clattering to the floor. She stopped singing, turning towards Rima with a highly confused expression before Rima pointed towards Kyouya, who was standing with his arms crossed and one arched eyebrow. The rest of the host club was trying to crane their heads over Kyouya's figure so that they could get a better look on what was going on.

Safira's cheeks turned crimson, struggling to find words. "Oh, h-hiya Kyouya-senpai! Didn't see you there. Hah, hah! Hah…"

"Kyouya, you're home! Oh, I'm so glad!" Fuyumi gushed. She stepped out from behind the sink, ready to throw her arms around her younger brother in a tight bear hug but he stepped away, refusing to get covered in pink dish soap.

"Go change your clothes and then you can hug me," Kyouya said.

"Aw! Kyouya! That's so mean of you!" Fuyumi pouted.

Tamaki took that as on opportunity to sweep down and grab Fuyumi's hand, smiling his sweet princely smile. "If you're younger brother wishes to be so cold, Fuyumi-san then I will gladly embrace you!"

Fuyumi only laughed but Kyouya took it more seriously. "If you touch my sister Tamaki, I'll send our entire police force after you until the day you die."

Tamaki appeared to have been frozen by Kyouya's words, as if a cold wintry breeze rushed through the room. "S-so cold of you! I don't mean it in a romantic way!"

"Nice outfit, Safira-san," the twins said together giving her a thumbs up to her maid dress. "You have an extra? We wanna dress up Haruhi."

"No thanks," Haruhi growled. "I've had enough dressing up for you guys!"

Mio squinted at the group strangely from behind the counter, clutching the bottle tightly in one hand. She frowned and turned the wine over, reading it's date. Then she looked back to the Host Club who all seemed to be sparkling with their amazing good looks and charm.

"I need to lay off the Brandy," Mio thought aloud, setting the bottle down on the counter. "I'm seeing sexy men all around me. It can't be true. It must be the alcohol. Y-yes… th-that must be it…"

"What are you all doing here?" Safira inquired innocently. "I didn't expect you all to come and visit."

"We're going to a carnival! We want Fira-chan to come too!" Honey cheered from Mori's shoulders. "It'll be lots and lots of fun!"

Safira's eyes lit up. "A carnival? That sounds interesting. What is it?"

Everyone paused. They had all forgotten about Safira's memory loss but they hadn't realized that she would really forget about something like a carnival. How could she know song lyrics and not know about a carnival? It was a given for people to know what carnivals were!

"It's basically just a big place where people go to have fun," Haruhi explained, as she was the first to recover. "You know? There's a bunch of rides and stuff."

"I want to go! Let's all go!" Fuyumi said cheerfully. "Since almost all the work is done, Rima, Mio and Suzume should come too!"

"Okay!" Rima said cheerfully. "I'll call my husband and children!"

"I-I don't do well with rides," Suzume said ruefully. "I get sick."

"Huh? What? Go where?" Mio inquired stupidly, swerving her head in all different directions. "I don't wanna go to Epcot; it's too far – AH! HANDS ON DECK!" She cried, disappearing from behind the counter as she fell down with a large 'thump'. "Owwww… head… hurting… ow."

"Um. Is she okay?" Tamaki asked, concerned.

"She'll be fine. She's just drunk." Kyouya answered flatly. "Let's just go. We're not getting any younger standing here."

~:*:~

Dusk had fallen. The sun was steadily beginning to disappear behind the horizon, the sky painted in large brush strokes of oranges and pinks. Night was steadily approaching and those working within the carnival had already set up the lights on all the rides. The world was filled with colorful neon illuminations which would only grow more magnificent when the stars came out.

Safira changed into one of the outfits Kyouya had bought for her. It was just a simple blue sun dress, lighter than her eye color, ruffling at the chest but the rest was flat and smooth, coming down to about her knees. The others had changed as well but before they came, dressing in expensive but somehow casual attire, except for Haruhi who had been forced into a bright yellow sundress, obviously the twins and Tamaki's doing. The dress belonged to Safira and while they were waiting for her to change, they found the dress in one of the bags and made Haruhi unwillingly put it on.

"Fira-chan, do you wanna share a funnel cake with Mori and me?" Honey asked waving from one of the food stands. "We're gonna get strawberries on top of it!"

Safira smiled. "No thank you, Honey. If we share anymore, my stomach is gonna hurt."

"Awww, okay." Honey said, sounding slightly disappointed before he turned back around, ready to order.

She was so glad that she had been invited to come. This place was so amazing, like a dream. The food was so simple but at the same time, so sweet and satisfying. Honey had only gone on a few rides and spent most of his time buying all kinds of sweets from the stands with Mori. When the others came back from being on a ride, he always offered to share whatever it was he bought.

The rides were fun and exhilarating. She never remembered screaming or laughing so much before in her whole life. Then again, she didn't remember much. However, tonight was surely a night she would never forget.

"Hey, Haruhi! Wanna go on the Zipper?" The twins grinned. "It'll be fun."

"I dunno," Haruhi said, glancing up at the contraption hesitantly. "That ride has always kinda freaked me out a little."

The sounds of people screaming at the top of their lungs as the machine spun them in large circles did not seem to help convince her.

"Don't worry." Hikaru said as he and his twin appeared on either side of her, whispering in a low sweet seductive whisper. "We'll protect you."

Tamaki had not been to far away to hear such a statement and instantly froze, his eyes widening in horror. Safira guessed that he must have been thinking of some melodramatic event in his mind, one that included Haruhi screaming for her life and clutching onto the twins in fear.

"Daddy says _no_!" Tamaki yelled, grabbing Haruhi by the arm who shouted in protest. "Haruhi is going to be riding with her _father_ because I'm the _safest_! Besides, it's only two people who get to share a compartment! Not three!"

And with that Tamaki took off running towards the ride, the twins hot on his trail, screaming something about how it was unfair for him to take Haruhi away from them. All the while Safira could hear Haruhi yelling about how she didn't want to go on the ride in the first place, but the three of them seemed too engrossed in going on the ride with her to actually notice.

Feeling a little tired Safira walked over to a small bench and sat down. She was a bit dizzy from the bumper cars, having road with Tamaki who was determined to continue ramming into the twins car, after they had somehow turned into a competition to share Haruhi's bento box for a day at school. Safira wasn't even sure if Haruhi knew about it; let alone what the rules had been for them to win.

"Are you having fun?" Inquired a cool voice from beside her.

Safira jumped a little bit in her seat, turning to realize that Kyouya was sitting on the bench next to her. Had he been there the whole time? He must've. He hadn't gotten up from the bench once, writing away in his notebook. He had a little book light clipped onto the top of the book so that he could read his writing. It must have been harder to write with the lapse of sunlight. In the dusk Safira could see that the light cast a ghostly glow against his skin, his glasses glinting.

"Y-you scared me," Safira said, laughing nervously. She swung her legs a little on the bench. "But yeah, I'm having lots of fun. Thank you for inviting me."

"You shouldn't be thanking me. Thank Tamaki. This was his idea," he replied lazily, never looking away from his notebook. "Personally, I find no merit in coming to a place like this."

Safira blinked. "Oh. Why is that?"

Kyouya sighed, seeming a little bit annoyed with her question. He kept his eyes glued onto his notebook, his pen flying over the paper with exquisite speed.

"This place is for fun and games. People generally come to theme parks for those reasons. I have no desire to spin around in twirling Tea Cups or consume the tripe most commoners like to call food. I will gain no profit from any of those things. It will be just a waste of my time, effort and money. I see no need to indulge myself in something that I will find ultimately pointless in the end."

Safira was taken aback by such a calloused reply. She stared at him for what seemed to be a long time, her blonde hair draping over her tiny shoulder.

"So… I'm guessing that you're not happy about coming here." Safira said lightly. Now when she thought back he had seemed a bit irate when he came home.

"Not at all," he replied smoothly. His silver eyes moved back and forth, his pen hovering in midair as he reread his writing. "I would much rather be at home."

"So… is that really how you feel? About everything? You don't want to take part in anything unless it somehow leads to your advantage?"

"That's a blunt way of putting it. Yes."

Safira was silent for a few minutes, pondering.

"Wouldn't it be a little bit exhausting to live that way?"

Kyouya didn't appear interested in her question, never looking away from his writing. His expression was impassive, impossible to decipher. "Why do you say that?"

Safira struggled to find the right words, her brow wrinkled in thought. "Well… because… having the pressure to always seek profit out of every situation in your life and never really taking the time to enjoy simple things like this… To me it sounds like a sad way to live."

"Not exactly. When I find a benefit in something then it's exceedingly entertaining." Though, when he spoke he didn't look entertained at all remaining unsmiling as he continued to jot down notes. "Merit is simply everything to me."

"Hmm. Well, I can't say that I entirely believe you."

Kyouya finally glanced up at her. His expression was nonchalant but Safira could tell that she had at last caught his interest. He placed his notebook down in his lap, a chilling smile rising from the corners of his peach lips.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" His voice was cool but Safira could hear a hint of amusement in his tone that hadn't been there before.

She hesitated suddenly on the spot. Safira could feel his cold gray eyes boring holes into her body as she turned her eyes downcast, heat creeping into her face. Safira knew what she wanted to say. It was just the matter of actually coming out and _saying _it. It was just a theory but she could be wrong, and ultimately make her look stupid.

Safira paused. She could feel his eyes on her but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to look up. The words came out of her mouth against her own accord, not even realizing that she had spoken them until they had flown out of her mouth.

"Well… my reasoning is… if you did everything only out of profit, if you only lived your life so closed-in and bitter… then you wouldn't have let me into your home." She said softly, refusing to meet his eye. "You wouldn't have gone out of you're way to buy me clothes or let me pay off my debt by working in your house. You wouldn't have visited me everyday when I was in the hospital, if you were thinking to gain something out of it. You don't know anything about me. If you knew me as an heiress to a company then you may have extended your kindness to make me feel welcomed, to make me feel special because in the end you would be gaining something. But you don't know me. _I _don't know me. By helping me, what exactly are you gaining?"

"So what you're suggesting is that I'm not helping you out of merit. That I have some sort of emotional reasoning in assisting you?" Kyouya inquired indifferently.

Safira paused, twisting her hands in her lap. "I-I guess so."

She heard him give a slight chuckle which instantly made her lift her head up to face him.

"That's a very intriguing theory."

His lips were curved into a devilish smirk, silver eyes bright and animated behind his glasses. Safira felt her heart trip and then scramble back to its feet within her chest. For a moment breathing seemed impossible, her air trapped within the center of her throat as her stomach twisted like snakes. He was so stunning. Especially when he smiled.

Kyouya blinked his smile fading. "What is it?" He asked stupidly. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Eh?! Oh, no! O-of course not!" Safira laughed nervously. "I – I just spaced out there for a second that's all!"

"Spacing out? About wha-"

"Oh, what are you writing about? Are you into poetry or something?" Safira quickly changed the subject before she could further humiliate herself or say something to cause herself to blush. "You must be really into it if you haven't gotten up to do anything else."

Kyouya's expression suggested that he didn't believe her. He gave her an odd sideways glance before turning his attention back to his notebook.

"Not at all. Though I enjoy reading I don't write anything myself unless it's for class," Kyouya replied, his voice as cool as winter. "This is for the club. Tamaki wants to have a Lord of the Rings cosplay and with that, he's suddenly had the urge to turn the room into an enormous forest. With the costumes, shipment and prices for the forest itself, it is probably certain that he will go over the Host Club's budget. That's why I'm trying to calculate everything together in advance. If he goes over the price we'll know before we buy the supplies and in that case, are able to plan accordingly."

Safira felt a slight teak in her jaw, eyes large and unmoving from him. She had no idea that he had to go through such planning. It sounded so hectic and Safira silently wondered if the reason he was doing it now, was because he was the only one who was able to go through the grueling hours of math and budgeting.

"That sounds like a huge responsibility. I don't know if I would be able to do something like that. But a Lord of the Rings cosplay? That sounds like fun." She added with a sweet smile.

"I'm surprised that you even remember what that is."

"Oh, yeah. Well that's just because it was on early at four in the morning. Fuyumi and everyone else were still asleep and I was bored. So I just watched it until you left for school." She said pleasantly. "It was very interesting! I was so amazed by how short the Hobbits were!"

Kyouya's working hand stopped moving across the paper as soon as he had heard the words _four in the morning_. His expression instantly became pinched, appearing petrified. It was as if Safira had just told him that he had been called for the army rather the time she had awoken. His was ashen and his lips were barely moving, but Safira could make out something that sounded like:

"What kind of person gets up at such an ungodly hour?" and "She's not human… no human rises before the sun! It's unnatural. Completely unnatural."

"Um. Kyouya… are you alright?" Safira inquired, genuinely concerned. She didn't do something wrong did she? "Do you have something against Hobbits?"

"N-no," he finally managed with difficultly. "I just came across a strange number on my sheet…that's all…"

It was obviously a lie but Safira brushed it aside, not wanting to take the matter any further. Besides she was curious about something.

"What exactly is a Host Club? I've heard you guys mention it before but I don't really understand what it is."

"It's basically just a club that we attend after school." Kyouya replied automatically, his face drained of all color from his earlier shock. "Everyone you see here with us, are members. We gather together in an abandoned music room and entertain women who have way too much time on their hands. Tamaki founded it once he entered high school."

"Oh, I see." It made sense now when she thought about it. It especially fit with the way Tamaki acted and spoke. Even the other host's mannerisms seemed to have clicked into place, now that she understood what this whole Host Club business was. "But isn't this your time off? You shouldn't be working..."

"If there is no value in me participating in the carnival rides, then I will not do so. I would much rather do_ these_ than make a fool out of myself."

He had turned away from her again, busying himself with his numbers and calculations. A wall of silence slowly began to bridge as Safira stared down at her hands, wondering what she could possibly say to make him at least _attempt_ to have fun here.

Without warning she reached out and grabbed his notebook from underneath his grasp. It had been so quick and so unexpected that his pen went skidding out from against the paper, creating a large black line down the center. She snapped the book shut and scrambled to her feet, stuffing the notebook from behind her back. Kyouya's face hardened.

She knew at once that he was angry. He shot to his feet and extended his hand out towards her, silver eyes dangerously narrowed.

"Give that back," he ordered. His tone mirrored the anger on his face, glasses flashing a brilliant white.

Safira took a small step back, clutching the notebook tightly from underneath her fingers. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't intimidating. The very sight of his taut frown and blazing eyes made her want to toss the notebook at his feet and go running in the other direction. But Safira did neither of those things. Despite the fear building up in her chest, she forced a playful little smile and brought the book from around her back, waving it in a teasing manner.

"Not until you go on a ride with me," Safira said with a coy little smile. "Once you do, I'll give it right back."

He choked. "Go on a ride with you?" He looked at her as though she were mad.

"Surely, it wouldn't hurt you to at least _try_ to have fun while you're here."

Kyouya hesitated. His eyes shifted between the notebook and Safira, weighing out his limited options. Safira watched him closely, observing as his features steadily morphed from furious to annoyed, his chest expanding as he took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, attempting to control his emotions. When he met her gaze his eyes were like silver glass.

"Just one?" He inquired flatly.

Safira gave a small nod.

Kyouya inhaled sharply. "Fine. But just _one_." He grumbled as if it were his only choice in the whole world. "That's all. I don't plan on running around all night, hopping from ride to –"

"Yaaaaaay!" Safira cheered loudly, cutting him off from his angst rant. "Kyouya's gonna have funnnn!"

But Kyouya didn't look like he was planning on having even the slightest bit of fun. He massaged his temples in two slow even circles as though he were trying to rid himself of a headache.

"Which one?" He asked; his voice laced with dispassionate ice.

Safira looked around eagerly, her large blue eyes as bright as a child's on Christmas morning. Her gaze landed upon a large red platform-type ride, consisting of seven spinning cars on a rotating platform. Her face broke into a large grin and she spun around, pointing at it with much excitement.

"_That_ one!" She exclaimed.

~:*:~

a/n: And Fuyumi and the maids are still here! Just so everyone knows. They just won't appear here until later. ^^ Oh, and I left a lot of foreshadow in the last few chapters so I hope you people are paying attention. :D


	16. Spinning and Teasing

~:*:~

**Chapter 16: Spinning and Teasing**

~:*:~

Kyouya followed to where she was pointing and grimaced.

_The Tilt-a-Whirl._

Good grief. How did he ever get himself into a situation like this? He didn't even want to come here in the first place. Kyouya hadn't been on a ride like that in years. He wasn't even sure if he had enjoyed this type of thing as a child.

Why did she have to have those dazzling sapphire eyes, the kind that could look into a man's empty soul and find something alluring and bright? Why couldn't she have been born with eyes that were a _regular_ shade of blue? Why did they have to be so huge and trusting? Why did he become so fascinated when she locked eyes with him? And more importantly…

Why was he actually standing in line with her?

"Kyou-chan! You're going on the ride?" Came a high-pitched childlike voice from behind him, the tone ringing with surprise.

Kyouya and Safira turned at the same time, eyes falling onto Honey and Mori who have come to join them. Following them was Tamaki, Haruhi and the twins who seemed to be in a very heated argument but they were still a bit too far away from Kyouya to hear.

"Yes, unfortunately I am." Kyouya replied bitterly. His face was set in a cold glare towards the _Tilt-a-Whirl_ feeling a deep surge of annoyance run through him. "Believe me. I am not doing this out of my own free will."

"Well we wanna go too!" Honey cried out excitedly, throwing his hands up in a large cheer. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on something with Kyou-chan, right Takashi?"

"Yeah." Mori replied, straight-faced.

"That'll work out perfectly," Safira said her tone buzzing with animation. "There are four people to a ride, so we'll all fit just fine!"

Honey yelled out in delight, practically jumping up and down with anticipation while Mori simply remained the same, unmoving and silent.

Kyouya was silently wondering to himself if Honey-senpai was going to even be able to meet the measuring requirement to get on the ride in the first place, when Haruhi's voice captured his attention making him turn her way.

"I didn't want to go on that ride in the first place! What part of 'no' do you three not understand?" Haruhi roared. "I thought I was going to fall out of the stupid thing!"

"Harrruhhi! Daddy would never let you fall out!" Tamaki cried. "Why are you so angry?"

"Yeah, c'mon. We know you had fun." The twins said together. "We saw you laughing before, you know."

"Yeah, well that was before Senpai made the thing flip! And then it wouldn't stop flipping!" Haruhi argued. Kyouya noticed that her face looked a little bit pale and he silently wondered if she had almost gotten sick.

"See? Told ya that you would have been safer with us," Hikaru said with a large grin.

"Yeah, the boss is too thick to have figured out how to make it stop moving."

"What? I am not!"

"Heeeyy! Guyyysss!" Honey yelled from the line, waving largely to capture their attention. "Guess what? Kyouya's going on the _Tilt-a-Whirl_ with us!"

Kyouya heard himself give a slight growl. What was this? Did everyone in the whole world have to know? With the way everyone acted, it was as if he was getting married or having his first child; for some reason the news of him going on a ride was being spread like wildfire.

Tamaki's eyes widened in horror and dismay; without warning he sprinted to Kyouya, his hands clasping tightly around his shoulders.

"Mommy! How could you decide to go onto a ride without Daddy! That's so cruel! I've been asking you all day and as soon as my back as turned, as soon as I run off onto a ride with Haruhi you finally decide to go on something?! HOW COULD YOU? DADDY IS SO HURT!"

Kyouya's face was completely deadpan. "Yeah? Well Mommy wants a divorce."

"Aaaah!" Tamaki yelped in horror, releasing Kyouya as if his touch had burned him. "W-why? Why would Mommy want to divorce Daddy? Is it because I went on _The Zipper_ with Haruhi and not you? I'll go on it with you too! C'mon let's go! Let's go right now!"

"Moron. I could care less who you went on anything with." Kyouya replied coolly, readjusting his glasses with a bright glare.

"Hey, Kyouya it's our turn." Safira said suddenly, turning to him with a large smile. "Let's go!"

Kyouya was not prepared for her to grab onto his wrist or pull him forward, causing him to stumble a little as she dragged him towards the car. Her touch felt like the warmth emitting from a candle, comfortable heat rushing deep into his skin. Kyouya felt his heart unwillingly skip a beat, his mind suddenly dizzy from her mere touch.

This was bad. What was wrong with him? Maybe he was catching a cold.

Yes. That must be it.

Kyouya could feel the twins boring holes into his back as Safira pulled him along, Honey-senpai skipping along side them and Mori walking casually from behind, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his face blank of any expression.

Kyouya sat on the outside to the left with Safira sitting beside him. On the other side of her was Honey and Mori was next to him on the right, also on the outside. Since there were four of them it was a very tight fit and Kyouya couldn't help but notice how close her body was.

The twins successfully dragged Haruhi into a car with them, which caused a very enraged fire-breathing Tamaki to dart after them and claim his rightful seat beside her. Once the King got what he wanted he appeared like a pleased puppy, his hands gripping the bar excitedly in front of him. Haruhi looked like she would have enjoyed nothing more than to pass out and die.

Kyouya noticed that the twins were sending him mischievous grins from across the platform, their golden eyes narrowed with suspicion. Kyouya raised an eyebrow. Why were they staring at him like that? It obviously couldn't mean anything good.

Just then the ride began to move. It was slow at first. Nothing exciting was happening and Kyouya wondered how anyone could possibly find this fun. He rested his elbow on the metal bar, his head resting the palm of his hand and looking incredibly bored. Safira and Honey were already cheering and whooping as if it were the greatest thing in the whole world. Mori's face remained expressionless.

Suddenly the _Tilt-a-Whirl_ gathered speed. All too soon they were flying in large and chaotic circles, spinning and turning so fast that the world became a blur. Kyouya let out a large scream but was unheard by Safira and Honey, who had their arms thrown up into the air and screaming with absolute fun and thrill. Kyouya gripped onto the bar in front of him so hard that his knuckles turned white, his eyes wide as his body was whipped around in confusing loops. As the platform rose and then lowered it caused gravitational forces and made the car spin in all different directions at diverse speeds. Kyouya tried to steady his glasses on his face, not wanting to have to loose another pair.

He wasn't sure what to feel. The ride was exciting but the acceleration and rotation was going to make him sick.

"Oui! Shadow King!"

Kyouya blinked, rising his head to stare up at the twins who had spun to face them. Haruhi and Tamaki looked just as terrified as Kyouya had, their voices reaching at the highest of sopranos but the Gemini looked casual in their seats, lips turned into impish smirks.

"We know your secret!" They shouted before their car spun around, its back facing him.

Kyouya blinked. _What_?

"Weeeeee!" Safira sang, not having heard what the twins had said to him.

Kyouya tried to keep his composure but the ride was causing him to do otherwise, forcing him to yell when the car would decide to suddenly start spinning in another direction, his face pinched.

Every time Hikaru and Kaoru's car faced Kyouya's, the twins would make strange remarks, stating things like: "We know!" or "You don't have to hide it!" Another time when they actually spun around to face him they put their hands together to form the shape of the heart, which caused Kyouya to turn his head away and pretend that they were nonexistent.

By the time the ride had finally came to an end Kyouya felt like kissing the ground. He had no idea how truly blessed he was to belong to a flat earth until now. Kyouya rose from the car, his legs feeling wobbly like jello. From the corner of his eye he saw Haruhi holding her hands over her mouth and sprinting as fast as she could towards the exit, the twins and Tamaki chasing after her.

"Never. Again." Kyouya breathed. "_Never_."

"It was fun though right?" Safira walked beside him as they left the platform. "It's a bit funner with no hands though, you should try that next time." She informed him cheerfully.

_What makes her think that I would consider going on that thing _again? He asked himself. But it was an interesting learning experience about commoner carnival rides, he couldn't deny that.

"It was so much fun! Let's all do it again!" Honey practically sang.

"Yes! Again, again!" Safira agreed joyfully. "Let's get back in line!"

"Oh, let's not." Kyouya said in a low sarcastic voice, once they were at a safe distance from the ride. "I've had enough _fun_ for one day."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and forehead as though he were trying to soothe a terrible migraine. Trying to control his noodle-like legs, Kyouya walked over to the nearest bench and sat down, sighing in relief. Was it just him or was the world still spinning?

Safira turned to him, her brows furrowing with concern. "Kyouya-kun, are you alright? You look like your going to be sick."

"I should be fine," Kyouya replied, trying to collect his bearings. "It's just been a long time since I've… done something like that."

He tried to remember a time in his childhood when he may have gone to an amusement park or fair. He had no memories of going on any sort of ride or even attempting to win a prize at one of the stands. The only memory he could think of was a time when his father had come to a high quality park for medical reasons because a woman had fallen from the Ferris wheel and had broken almost every bone in her body. The woman had lived but his father had used that incident against the whole park, buying the land out from under them and turning it into one of the Ootori's private resorts.

Kyouya had been small then. He had watched the other children running around, screaming and playing with great enthusiasm. He saw parents lead their children around the carnival, happy to have taken them some place that they enjoyed.

But his father hadn't even asked Kyouya if he wanted to go on any of the rides.

Could today have been the very first time he had actually been on a ride from an amusement park? If that was so, then Safira had been the very first person to ask him if he wanted to go on one. Well _forced_ was actually the correct word, but all the same it should mean something.

"Here you go."

Kyouya looked up as Safira extended her hand, his notebook held securely in her small pale fingers. She was smiling and it was radiant and kind. It took his breath away and he felt like a thousand butterflies had flown out of his chest. Despite the strange emotions stirring inside him, Kyouya kept his face collected and calm. Pretending that he had never felt any thing of the sort, he reached out and took the notebook back and placed it on his lap. However he kept one hand over it, just in case if Safira had any funny ideas.

"Thank you," he replied shortly.

A soft smile played over Safira's features, her sapphire eyes sparkling like stars. "A deal's a deal, right?"

"Indeed," was the only thing Kyouya could think of to say.

"Hey! Fira-chan, do you want a snow cone?" Honey asked loudly with a huge child-like smile, gripping her arm like a small toddler. "They have allll kinds of flavors! I betcha you could get anything you wanted here!"

Safira glanced down at him, smiling gently. "A snow cone does sound pretty good after that ride. I think I have room for just one more thing."

"Yay!"

Safira released a stream of innocent laughter as Honey tugged her towards a small snow cone stand, her face lighting up like that of a child's. Mori followed after them, appearing as vacant as ever. Kyouya watched them go, his eyes never wavering from Safira's back. As she went he wondered how food could possibly be appetizing after such a spinney ride like that one.

"So Shadow King when were you gonna tell us –"

"– of your secret feelings?"

Kyouya blinked, turning his head in either direction as the twins slid on the bench beside him, Hikaru on the right and Kaoru on the left. Both their elbows were rested on the bench's back, their eyes gleaming mischievously.

"_Well_?" They pressed. They reminded Kyouya of a pair of sly Siamese cats, their faces tilted elegantly with their cunning grins.

"What are you talking about? What feelings?" Kyouya inquired blankly.

"Don't play dumb with us, Senpai. We can see right through you." Hikaru said, waving his finger in a mocking taunt.

Kyouya's eyes narrowed, already annoyed. "Which would be what exactly?"

"So when's the wedding?" Kaoru pried, ignoring his question.

Kyouya was taken aback. "What wedding?"

"Do you need a designer for your tuxedo?" Kaoru added. "Our mother could probably make something for you. She could come up with an amazing wedding dress too."

"Or… if you'd rather," Hikaru said with a dark smile. "We can come up with something for the honeymoon for your bride to be."

Kyouya stared uncomprehending. "_What_?"

"What would you like her in?" Kaoru asked as he and his brother both crossed their arms over their chests. "Do you have a favorite color?"

"Green?" Kaoru presumed.

"Pink may look very sweet on her." Hikaru said with a suggestive smile. "Or black, since you're the Shadow King."

"Ah, but blue would bring out her eyes." Karou said as a wayward grin broke across his face.

Kyouya finally understood the meaning behind their mockery. Frowning, Kyouya pushed his glasses up from the bridge of his nose making them shine brightly, even in the dark. When he looked back up at them, his face was completely serious but also vacant. He opened his mouth to speak but a dark and furious voice came from behind him, causing both the twins to jump.

"You two are despicable… to think of such a young girl in such a perverted manner. HOW COULD YOU HAVE EVER GOTTEN INTO MY HOST CLUB?" Tamaki screamed so loudly that the twins actually leaped off of the bench. "YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO GENTLEMEN ALL ACROSS JAPAN!"

Kyouya sighed roughly, twisting his index finger in his ear in attempt to return his hearing; Tamaki had been so loud that he had momentarily gone deaf.

"What do you mean how did we get into the club?" The twins shot back. "We were the ones who refused and you're the one who wouldn't leave us alone until we joined!"

"That was only because I thought you two were proper gentlemen but now I see that you're a shady perverted duo that enjoys thinking of young naïve women!" Tamaki said as he ran out from behind the bench, his finger extended towards them.

"You're one to talk," Hikaru and Karou stated dully.

"You're the one who's always fantasizing about Haruhi which actually makes you –"

"– a perverted father. Honestly boss. That's just downright sick."

"I'm not a perverted father! I just love my darling Haruhi! Any father likes to picture his daughter in cute dresses! It's not a sin I tell you!"

"Where did you come from anyway?" Hikaru inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you tried to follow Haruhi into the bathroom and she kicked you out."

Tamaki's face turned beet red. "T-THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"

"Have any of you three considered suing you're brain cells for non-support?" Kyouya asked with an irritated sigh, all their heads turning at his comment. "I am not marrying Safira. And any sort of ideas you have about me having romantic feelings for her, are completely ludicrous. I feel nothing."

The twins smiled widely. "Nothing?" They echoed.

Kyouya arched an eyebrow. "Yes."

"Then why is she still living with you?" Hikaru inquired innocently.

"And she couldn't have bought those clothes with the money she made today. It's only her first day working." Karou said just as innocent as his brother.

"And if any of _us_ asked you to go on any of the rides we would have received a terribly cold rejection." They pointed out. "Which means you _must_ have some sort of emotional attachment to Safira."

Tamaki had remained frozen up until the twin's last comment, completely shocked to his core that Kyouya had been locking his feelings for Safira inside his heart instead of pouring them out to his most sincere problems to his best friend.

"Kyouya! How could be so secretive?!" Tamaki wailed completely dramatic. He launched towards Kyouya, ranting madly. "Don't you realize that I'm you're best friend? You can come to me for anything! _Anything_! I won't judge you or cast you aside! Friends are there for each other until the very end! Please, don't feel the need to bottle up your feelings any longer! Pour your heart to me and I will embrace all the love you share for Safira!"

Kyouya's annoyance escalated. "Shut up. I'm not bottling away anything. Moron."

Tamaki released an exaggerated gasp. In a blink of an eye he turned away and kneeled on the ground, tracing small circles over the dirt. "Mommy's angry with Daddy," he whimpered.

"Hey, mind if I sit next to you?" Kyouya looked up to see Haruhi, her face still white from the _Tilt-a-Whirl_ and her forehead covered in sweat. "I need to sit down."

"Be my guest," Kyouya said with a sigh, thankful that at least someone with common sense was now with him. She thanked him and then sat down, sighing as she rubbed her hands over her stomach.

"I'm never going on anything spinney ever again. Ever." Haruhi groaned.

"How are you feeling, Haruhi?" Hikaru asked. "Did you go to the bathroom or something? After the ride you just ran off."

"Yeah…" Haruhi said, sounding completely drained. "I need to get out of here soon. I keep feeling sick."

Tamaki turned at once at Haruhi's words. "H-Haruhi d-doesn't feel good? Do you want Daddy to get you something?"

"No thanks," Haruhi stated so blackly that Tamaki actually recoiled and turned his attention back drawing circles on the floor, practically crying from Haruhi's cold mannerism.

"Eh? Is something wrong with Tamaki?" Safira inquired. She finally returned from the snow cone vender, standing between Honey and Mori. In her hand was white ice topped with bright blue syrup. "He's not hurt is he?"

"Nah, he'll be fine." The twins said together, leaning on each other to use as armrests.

"He's just upset because Haruhi doesn't want him as a Father," Hikaru stated simply.

"Oh..." Safira said, her eyebrows wrinkling in slight concern. "I… think I understand? Maybe?"

"Guess what guys! They have mango strawberry flavor!" Honey said with a cute smile and holding up a small cone filled with peach colored ice. "It's delicious! You want to try some, Haru-chan?"

"No thanks," Haruhi said miserably. "I don't think my stomach can handle anything right now."

Kyouya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was now fully dark. There was a perfect round moon and a thousand silver stars littered the night sky overhead. All the lights on the attractions were beaming in their fullest, glowing beautifully in the darkness. Today was so tiring. He could probably fall asleep right here.

But how could he? The twins' teasing was starting to get to him. Where could they have possibly gotten the idea that he had feelings for her? The only reason he had let her into his house was because she had been literally _forced_ into his arms. And he was only trying to prevent Safira from wearing his family's clothes when she came to his house. It wasn't out of anything from his heart. And the only reason he had decided to go on that ride with her was because she had kidnapped his notebook.

_You just keep telling yourself that_, purred that annoying dragon. _But one day, you'll finally come to terms with your true feelings. Then the wedding bells will ring and you'll be asking the twins to make Safira some fancy lingerie for your honeymoon in Okinawa_.

_Shut up_. _That is not going to happen_. _Ever_. _She's far too bubbly and happy all the time for me to ever think of her romantically_. _Ever_.

Despite Kyouya's thoughts against ever being involved with Safira his eyes went against him, watching her as she began to walk away towards a small tree not too far from where they were grouped. Her ethereal skin looked luminous from underneath the starlight glow and her golden hair, shimmering against the moon's candle-like beams. Her lips were tinged blue from the snow cone, her eyes soft as she slowly bent down to the ground, her arm extended. Even though Kyouya hadn't the slightest clue of what she was doing, he couldn't tear his eyes away. His heart felt so odd. There was a strange warmth in it. She was so beautiful.

_Yeah… never gonna happen. _The dragon said with a satisfied smile.

~:*:~

Safira had noticed a small, white oval on the ground underneath a tiny tree. Once Safira was close enough to see what it was, her eyes grew wide. A baby bird lay unfinished on its side, its thin, wrinkled chest hammering with each breath it took.

She bent down beside the baby bird and tilted her head up towards the branches, finding a tiny nest within the foliage. It was about half the size of a walnut shell, the outer part covered in moss and plant fibers. The mother wasn't there…

"Aaaah?" The twins chorused, peeking both their heads around from around Safira's shoulder. "Looks like a hummingbird."

Safira turned, surprised. "Really? How can you tell?"

"Well it's not that hard to figure out," Hikaru said smugly. He pointed to the nest. "Most birds use twigs, grass, leaves and things like that to make a nest. But hummingbirds are different. Their nests are usually made with moss and spider webs."

"Yeah, plus that egg is tiny," Kaoru agreed. "Another bird's egg would be bigger than that one. This one is like the size of a coffee bean."

Sympathy flooded Safira's heart. She wanted to help the poor creature but was unsure on how too. It was so tiny.

"It won't live, Safira."

She felt a small shock at the sound of Kyouya's voice. She turned her head, surprised. He standing over her and looking down at the tiny hummer, his expression impassive and eyes slightly cold.

"Its mother doesn't want it anymore. It's going to die." Kyouya informed her bluntly.

Safira turned her attention back onto the bird. Her eyes softened as a swell of emotions flooded her chest. It was such a terrible sight. Its body was so weak, so tiny and just barely beginning to form. Its chest worked like a piston, struggling with all its might to survive. How much pain must it be in?

This bird, Safira realized, was a lot like herself. She had once lain on her side, broken and battered all alone in the thunder and storm. Her memories had been slain, whilst this one had yet to make any. She had been left to die, if it had not been for Kyouya and Tamaki finding her.

Safira's heart tightened. Kyouya's words stung her like a poisonous insect:

"_Its mother doesn't want it anymore. It's going to die."_

Safira's eyes reflected a mixture of gloom and empathy. Had _her_ mother not wanted her because she was hurt? Safira remembered nothing from before. She awoke to the scent of dirt and blood and the pounding of rain, stinging her sensitive flesh. If she had a mother, why had she not come for her?

Her mother did not want her.

"Well… _I_ want it." Safira said so firmly that the others flinched.

Safira did not appear startled when Haruhi bent down beside her, looking at the hummer closely. Haruhi's brown eyes softened.

"It's so tiny," Haruhi said her tone warm with affection. "I've never seen a bird so small."

Tamaki had come to see what the fuss was about too. When his violet eyes landed on the baby hummingbird his eyes grew lighter and warm. He bent down a little bit and hovered over Haruhi, tilting his blonde head a little bit to one side.

"Yeah, you're right. It is tiny." He said. "Maybe you should put it in something warm. Like you're shirt or something."

Safira nodded and gently reached out towards the poor creature. Her hands were trembling, afraid that she might hurt it. When she had finally inched it into her hands, it felt so fragile. She almost swore that she could feel its small bones from underneath its delicate skin. Safira slowly rose to a stand, as if she may hurt it if she got up too quickly.

When she stared down at it, it opened its left eye for half a second. It was amazing; Safira could feel its heartbeat fluttering swiftly against her palm. A smile stretched across her lips, and she lifted her head up, eyes instantly meeting silver.

At once there was a great force that rushed through her, her heart flattening inside her chest like wallpaper. His jet black hair was combed with silver from the moonlight, his face straight and eyes focused onto her. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. For a moment she felt strangely overcome by the mere sight of him and tingles arose from the pit of her stomach, all the way up to her shoulders.

And for a heartbeat in time, her heart was racing faster than the little hummingbird's inside her hands.


	17. Bad News

a/n: Thank you so much for the reviews everyone. You guys have no idea how much you make me smile. xD I'm always nervous before reading the reviews so to hear that I'm doing a good job is a HUGE relief. You all make me smile. Thank you. ^^

Well we ended up coming home a bit earlier because my sister had to be at volleyball practice at six in the morning. But the Harry Potter Exhibition was SO amazing. I practically spent all my money there, haha. And guess what guys?! I got to try on the actual Sorting Hat from the movie! This person got to pick out volunteers and I was one of them. ^~~^ Best moment of my LIFE. And I was in Gryffindor! SQUEE~! We also got to stay at the Trump Tower/Building? The beds were so comfy. ;__; I miss them. *Hauls the comfy beds back over to my house.* Ah, and we went to Lincoln Park Zoo. I was sad because there weren't any pandas but now I absolutely loovve tigers lol.

Gah! According to the news the ragweed count is high. Curse it all. I'm very allergic to ragweed so I've been sneezing all day. -___- Uggghhh.

Anyway that's the update of my life haha. Here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. =] Thanks to my awesome Beta!

~:*:~

**Chapter 17: Bad News**

~:*:~

"There you guys are!" Fuyumi exclaimed. "I can't believe how long it took me to find you!"

Kyouya turned, his eyes falling onto Fuyumi. Standing beside her was Rima with her two little girls who looked to be about four and five, and a very drunken Mio, leaning against Rima for support and clutching onto a bottle with one hand.

"Where have you been?" Kyouya asked curiously.

"Well Mio is drunk so she wasn't allowed to go on anything. So we just decided to check out all the cute game stands!" Fuyumi said with a smile. "Looky, looky! I won this picture frame for my husband and two rubber duckies for our brothers! Ah, and I won this stuffed penguin for myself! I tried to win Father a pen with glow-in-the-dark ink but my aim wasn't right for the balloon dart thingy. But I won you this cute little thing Kyouya! Isn't it the sweetest thing? Now you can cling to something as you sleep!"

Kyouya grimaced and turned his head away from her as she tried to hand him a bright pink stuffed octopus, with large black eyes and a tiny smile.

"No thanks, Fuyumi. I gladly donate it to someone else."

"Aww! Kyouya! That's so heartless of you! After I worked so hard just to win it for you? It wasn't easy aiming that squirt gun into the clown's mouth you know!" Fuyumi pouted.

"Ah, it is really cute." Safira said as her eyes landed upon the adorable plush toy. She walked over slowly to get a better look at it, hands cupped carefully around the baby hummer. "What is it supposed to be?"

Kyouya was always amazed about how little she remembered. "It's an octopus. It lives in the ocean. And in real life, it isn't as sweet looking as that." Kyouya informed her.

"Is that a bird?" Fuyumi inquired a tinge of surprise within her voice. She bent over a little bit to peer down at it, her dark eyebrows raised high. "What happened to it? It's so sweet!" She added with a small gush.

"I found it by that tree over there," Safira said. "Kyouya said that its mother doesn't want it anymore. So… I'm going to take care of it until it can take care of itself."

"How noble of you!" Tamaki cried with a large wave of his hand, magical sparkles appearing all around his flawless face. "To take upon the burden of life of such a small creature! To become the mother of the motherless sparrow that has fallen from its nest - the black sheep among birds!"

"Um. It's a hummingbird, Senpai." Haruhi stated flatly from behind him.

"Do you need something to wrap it up with? I have an extra sweater," Rima offered, digging into her bag. "Here." She extended a pine tree-green sweater towards Safira, who took it vigilantly. Once the baby chick was swathed carefully Safira smiled and muttered a small thanks to Rima.

"Can I hold it?" Honey asked cutely. He bounced up and down on his heels, trying his hardest to see it. "Is it really, really super tiny?"

Kyouya watched as a compassionate smile fluttered over Safira's features. "Yes, it is really small. You can hold it. Just be very careful. I don't want it to get hurt."

Safira offered Honey the hummer, who took it gingerly, his golden-brown eyes practically sparkling with wonderment. "Woooow! It's like a tiny jelly bean!" He said in absolute childlike astonishment.

_Leave it to Honey-senpai to compare a bird to food_, Kyouya thought idly.

"Well then, since Kyouya doesn't want my adorable octopus I bestow it to you, Safira-chan for taking upon such a motherly act!" Fuyumi said with a cheerful smile. "When you hug him remember how hard I worked to win him!" She threw it into Safira's surprised arms.

Safira stared down at it in bewilderment as if she had just been offered jewels, rather than a plushy. Then her face broke out into an enormous grin, hugging the octopus to her face.

"Thank you so much! It's so cute – and soft! Eee!" She held the octopus away from her, staring at it proudly. "I shall call you Mr. Bubbles and we shall be the best of friends."

Kyouya rolled his eyes. _Mr. Bubbles? Really? Was she five?_

"What? Bubbles? Where?" Mio said stupidly. She looked around idiotically, her mouth hung open in a large gape. "I don't see anything! Where are the bubbles?"

"That's a super cute name!" Honey said as he looked up from the bird in his hands. Mori was towered over him, his face blank as he stared down at the hummer but his eyes seemed to have grown a little bit softer. "Now Usa-chan and Mr. Bubbles can be great friends too!"

"Yes!" Safira said excitedly. "They can drink tea together and discuss very important things."

"Like how much cake we should eat!"

"Exactly," Safira said with a satisfied smile. "We shall have to introduce them soon."

"Yeah!" Honey exclaimed as pink flowers popped up all over his face.

_She does realize that a stuffed animal can't really drink tea, right_? Kyouya thought to himself.

"Ah, Rima where is your husband? I thought you said that you were going to invite him." Safira said, looking around for Rima's spouse as though she expected him to randomly show up. Rima smiled but there was a tinge of grief inside it.

"He… uh… he had to go tell my brother something," she told Safira gently. "He's my half brother actually. He wanted to come but this was very important."

Safira frowned a little bit but did not press the matter further because Rima's children were suddenly tugging on her arms and legs, exclaiming that they wanted cotton candy. Both little girls had black hair. The elder wore her hair long while the younger of the two had it short, about to her chin. They were very much unlike their mother in this way, whose hair was golden brown. But the older one had her mother's green eyes while the younger had brown.

As the children began to whine, Mio broke herself away from Rima and looking around wildly. Her eyes suddenly grew large and she began stumbling in the other direction, waving her arms hysterically.

"The British are coming! The British are coming!"

"Mio! Come back here!" Fuyumi called after her, chasing after the wandering drunk.

"Look everyone. I'm really sorry but I can't stay here anymore. If I do then I might just die." Haruhi said with a slight groan. "I feel so sick."

"Haruhi! It's alright! If you are ill feel free to lean against my shoulder!" Tamaki cried. "It is free and open, just for you! You don't ever have to move until you feel completely able. So go. Lean upon the shoulder! The shoulder that belongs to the King!"

"I think I'll be fine on my own, Senpai." Haruhi replied icily, as she still had not yet forgiven Tamaki for spinning the car in _The Zipper_ all those countless times. "And to be honest, I think that I'm a bit safer that way."

Tamaki let out a large gasp. "H-Haruhi? So… so angry." He whimpered.

"Awww. We're leaving already?" Hikaru and Kaoru said together. "But The Shadow King and Safira didn't even get to sit on the Ferris wheel together!"

Safira blinked her expression completely clueless. "Huh?"

"It's only natural for two love birds to want to sit together on the Ferris wheel alone," Hikaru said with a wide smirk.

"And besides, Shadow Lord may want to sneak in his first kiss all the way up at the top." Karou added. "You guys wouldn't want to crush Vice President's dream, now would you?"

Safira stared. "His first what?" She didn't seem embarrassed just confused beyond anything. Before the twins could answer her, Kyouya walked a little bit closer towards them, his glasses glinting dangerously as he readjusted them over his face.

"I assure you, I dream nothing of the sort." Kyouya informed them darkly. "And if you wish to live, you will refrain from such comments or else I will send the entire Ootori Police force after you. And remember, they can wipe out our enemies in the blink of an eye."

"Point taken," the twins replied robotically. "Never mind."

Kyouya turned at the beautiful sound of Safira's laughter. It was soft and light, but her entire face was lit up like the sun and her eyes were warm and soft. For whatever reason, she had found him funny. He wasn't sure why, but it caused a warm fist to tighten in the middle of his abdomen.

"Shall we go?" He asked, his throat suddenly constricting.

Safira merely smiled. "Yes," she said.

~:*:~

"This is so boring," the boy sighed. "I wish that there was something better to do. I miss my video games."

Lily looked up at the older boy, her eyes as bright as an Irish spring day. "But it's really pretty from up here, Uriah! Look! You can see my old house from up here."

Or what was left of it.

Their foster mother had taken them to a carnival. Lily had thought it was fun, up until Hashimoto had tried to hit Lily for not giving her money for games. It was Lily's allowance money after all! What business did an old hag like her have with playing carnival games anyway? It's not like the prizes were anything special. And besides, she had her own money. So instead of paying up like her foster mother had demanded, Lily turned and ran in the opposite direction, grabbing Uriah, one of her only friends in the whole foster home, and dived straight into the Ferris wheel. They were so high up. Lily could see Hashimoto from here, and was happy to see that she was no where near them. However she was quite angry that she couldn't find them, throwing up her fists in a tantrum and growling out words of bitter distaste from down below.

Uriah's hair was black and thick coming down a little bit passed his chin. He was ten years old, making him two years older than Lily. He was a very attractive child, with the way his bangs fall elegantly into his eyes in a way that other children and even grown men, could only hope to achieve. His eyes were the color of blueberries but they almost looked purple, depending on the lighting. Mildly interested that Lily could see her old house from the Ferris wheel, he bent his body a little bit forwards, eyes translucent as he searched.

"I think I see it," he stated casually. "It's not too far at all. We could probably walk there."

But Lily didn't seem to have heard him. Her eyes were large, glued onto a figure from below. At that moment the Ferris wheel locked, making them pause at the very top. Lily shot to her feet and caused the car to rock back and forth with unstable speed. Uriah let out a large scream, clinging to the car.

"W-what are you doing? Sit back down! We're going to fall!" He cried.

But she couldn't. She couldn't sit back down. Lily's eyes instantly moistened with tears, her hands curling tightly from around the front of the car. If it had not been for Uriah grabbing her by the fabric of her shirt, she may have jumped right down.

It was her.

Her sister.

She was walking with a strange group of boys and one girl. Her hair was still long, billowing behind her gently in night's sweet cool breath. She was clutching a stuffed animal and laughing. Her face was so radiant.

She was _alive_.

"NEE-SAN!" Lily screamed at the top of her voice. "_NEE-SAN_!"

She was screaming. Screaming as loud as she could. Screaming until she thought that her vocal chords would blow apart. And then Lily felt her lungs buckle from underneath her. Her heart squeezed painfully inside her chest and then shattered into a million pieces, as though made of glass. The pain was unbearable. It consumed her.

Her heart. It had stopped beating.

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Her world became consumed in night.

"NEE-SAN!"

She was leaning forward. Falling. Falling forward out of the car and towards the bottom. Her pink ribbons came undone as she fell, blonde hair flapping madly against the starlight. Her face felt cold and stiff, almost going deaf from the loud thundering of the wind that cut along her face and shoulders.

She fell down deep, deep into darkness.

And for a moment, she felt nothing.

~:*:~

Safira remained rooted to the ground. Everyone else was already ahead of her but Kyouya had noticed that she had stopped moving, and so he halted to wait. But when she didn't show any signs of coming closer, he seemed to have become concerned.

"What's wrong Safira?"

She didn't respond at first. She was looking far off into the night, her liquid sapphire eyes unexpectedly sullen. It was strange. It was as though they had frozen into ice.

"I… I thought I heard something." Safira answered slowly. She bit her bottom lip, looking around for the source of the voice.

She had thought that she had heard it. The same voice from way in the back of her memory - the little girl that was calling her sister.

But no one was calling her now. In fact, all was silent minus the sounds of children squealing from delight upon the rides.

"Are you sure?" Kyouya inquired skeptically.

Safira turned around to face him. She was holding a slight frown, her eyebrows wrinkled in thought. "N-no. I must have just imagined it. How silly of me. Let's go."

She walked over to him, her legs as heavy as lead. As much as she tried to convince herself that she had imagined it Safira could not shake off this horrible feeling inside her heart.

It felt like it was shattering. Shattering into a million pieces.

~:*:~

Uriah felt his heart shoot up into his throat. Lily's behavior had been so abrupt and so sudden. Without warning, her eyes had rolled in the back of her head. Her body fell forward. She was falling!

Instinctively, Uriah launched after her. The car bowed greatly, like a cup pouring out water. His entire upper body hung over the car's edge as he bent over, swiftly grabbing onto Lily's slender wrist. Her body dangled and swayed back and forth, hitting against the car. Uriah let out a large grunt as he tried to lift up all of Lily's deadweight. He gripped his other hand securely around her arm, using all of the strength in his tiny ten-year-old body to pull her up safely.

"HELP! WE NEED HELP UP HERE!" Uriah screamed loudly.

~:*:~

They were all eating dinner when they first heard the news. Shugo was sitting down at the prison's cafeteria table. Tonight the chef's served cold oatmeal in paper bowls with plastic spoons and a paper cup of water. Shugo moved the oatmeal around with his spoon, cheek cupped in one hand and his face completely slack of emotion, bored out of his mind.

Oatmeal did not sound appetizing. Especially after he had had the first bite, which was tasteless and too runny; the oatmeal could have practically been called a liquid rather than a solid. His hazel eyes seemed almost spiritless, lifting up large spoonfuls of oatmeal and then tilting the spoon over to its side, watching the food plop back down into the bowl.

Kero was sitting across from him. The two of them didn't talk to each other much. Like Shugo, Kero had lost his appetite for food after taking one bite from the horrendous oatmeal. Instead he was bent over a small book that his twin sister had left with him during visitation hours, his eyes moving slowly across the fine print. Shugo wasn't sure what the book was called; it was placed flat against the table only revealing its pages, not the binding.

Shugo was just about to ask Kero what he was reading when someone tapped him on his shoulder. Shugo turned, coming to face to face with a very tall man. He had short raven-colored hair that was somewhat slicked back with auburn eyes, clad in a white button down shirt and a black tie and dress pants. His overcoat was slung over his arm, holding himself in what seemed to be a more refined manner; a manner that many of the other men within the prison, had forgotten.

"I am sorry to bother you," he said with a rueful smile. "But I'm looking for one of your cellmates. Daichi? He is my brother-in-law. I have important news for him." Shugo didn't miss the sorrow corded in his tone.

Shugo looked the man up and down, wondering how such a sophisticated looking man could possibly be related to that baby killing swine. "Yeah. He's over there."

The man thanked him and then made his way over to Daichi, who was only a few tables away from him. Shugo didn't know why he was so interested in the whole thing but he leaned a little bit closer to the edge of the table, leaving one ear open. Kero noticed Shugo's sudden movement and raised a questioning eyebrow from his book but did nothing more.

Once Daichi's black eyes landed upon his brother-in-law, he snarled as though the man were poison.

"Get away from me. I don't want to see your face." He growled with a wave of his hand, oatmeal dribbling from his chin. "You're the reason I'm here!"

"Your own actions are what lead you here. I had nothing to do with it." The man replied coolly. It was clear that this man didn't want to see Daichi as much as Daichi didn't want to see him, but then why was he here? Just then the man's features become more serious. A flicker of distress flashed across his face and his eyes grew solemn. "Daichi, I know that you do not want to see me. But we need to talk. In private."

He went to reach for his in-law's arm but Daichi cast his touch away, shoving his arm as far away from him as he could. "Shut up. I'm not going anywhere with you. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of everyone else. I'm not leaving."

The man hesitated, his face pallid. He struggled to find words. "Daichi. This is important. Please. I don't want to have to say it in front of all these people."

"I want nothing from you. Take your fancy words and shove them up your –"

"Daichi!" The man hissed. "Would you just listen to me?"

Daichi rose to his feet so fast that his chair went skidding from underneath them. He wiped his greasy red hair from out of his eyes and turned, thrusting his finger into the man's chest.

"If you would have gotten me a proper attorney then I wouldn't be stuck here in this hellhole!"

The man's face tightened. "If you hadn't killed your baby then you wouldn't be here." He countered.

"Shut up. Shut the hell up." Daichi turned to leave, fuming.

He was livid; everybody in the cafeteria knew it. His face was almost purple from trying to hold back his anger, his hands curled into tight fists that swung at his sides. He had made it halfway towards Shugo and Kero's table, when:

"Daichi. Karin is dead."

The prisoner froze. His eyes went wide. For a moment he looked as though he had stopped breathing.

The man swallowed. "Your daughter. We found her buried under the ground. It was all over in the newspapers. I know that you can't read the paper everyday and your television is limited. I came to tell you. I'm sorry."

Shugo felt as though someone had just punched him in the stomach, knocking all the air straight out of him. Karin? _Dead_? Shugo had gone to school with that girl. He had no idea that Daichi had been her father. At parent teacher conferences, he had never seen her with him. Had it been because Daichi was locked up? Even though Shugo had never cared for the girl, a strange sense of sorrow washed over him.

But none like the sorrow that swept over Daichi.

He gripped either side of his head, his scarlet hair mopping over his features. He was trembling from head to toe. His face, bright red. He rounded his brother-in-law swiftly, tears streaming down his face from his obsidian eyes.

"You bastard!" He screamed. "You're a detective. A damn detective! You should have been there! You should have been able to save her!"

The man's face hardened. "There was nothing I could do, Daichi! I didn't even know that the Grave Digger had your daughter! When we found her it was too late!"

"Keiji you worthless son of a bitch!"

Shugo's heart sped up.

Keiji? Hokkaido Keiji? The man who had been on the case of all the serial killings done by this notorious _Grave Digger_? Andif Daichi already killed one of his own children, why was he upset about Karin's death?

Daichi let out a furious roar as his fist collided into Keiji's jaw, sending him flying into the table behind him. The detective let out a loud cry of pain, blood oozing from his nose. Keiji cupped his hand over his face to try to stop the flow of blood but Daichi had decided that he was not yet finished, rocketing himself towards him with his fists raised high.

Shugo and Kero both rose to heir feet at once, ready to pull them apart when a loud whistle rendered through the cafeteria. When the whistle blew it caused everyone to freeze, as though the sound were a tranquilizer. Guards seized Daichi by his arms, pulling him away from the detective with much difficultly. Everyone else within the room had gone silent, watching as Daichi was dragged out of the room releasing horrible streams of curses and tears that rolled down his cheeks.

Other guards were surrounding Keiji, making sure he was alright. But Shugo never got to know if he was or not because an officer tapped him on his shoulder, making him whirl around.

"Shugo, right?" He stated blandly. "I have some bad news. Do you mind if we go somewhere else?"

Shugo stiffened. He only had two other family members living outside of the prison right now, and both of them were his sisters. However the oldest was missing and apparently, nonexistent so it could only mean news about Lily. Shugo felt his heart skip a beat, the way it might if you saw an ambulance tear down the road and turn into your driveway. He swallowed, but nodded. If it was really bad news then he didn't want to make the same mistake Daichi had, by allowing everyone in the whole cafeteria to hear it.

Shugo followed the officer. Kero watched after them curiously until they were out of sight. The officer led Shugo into a private room with a cement floor and metal walls and doors. He bolted the door shut once they were inside and nodded his head towards two small stools and a table. But Shugo shook his head.

"I'll stand thanks." He replied slowly. He was too nervous to sit down. His pulse was racing and his palms had already started to sweat.

"Suit yourself," the officer said. The man paused, brow furrowing as he tried to think of how to come out and say what he needed to say. After a small silence, the officer sighed and ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Alright. There's no easy way to say this. Something happened to your sister. Lily."

Shugo felt his chest tighten.

"Her heart stopped beating on top of a Ferris wheel. She fell out of the car but a boy was with her and he grabbed her before she could hit the ground. They rushed her to a hospital and shocked her heart. She's alive but she's not well." He raised his eyes to meet Shugo's. "Her heart cavity is too big. It's stretched and that means that her heart can't pump blood out efficiently. The proper name for it is pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy."

Shugo felt his knees give way and he fell into the seat behind him. His mind felt numb. He almost couldn't register the words that were spewing out of the officer's mouth.

"Lily need's a heart transplant."

He tried to breathe but it was as if the room had been cut of all air supply. He was breathing in nothing. He choked. Heat gushed through is veins. He was not hearing this. This couldn't be true. His little sister… the last of his family…

"If Lily doesn't get a new heart… she is going to die."

~:*:~

a/n: I am sure that everyone has forgotten by now but **I** haven't. :D My picture that I drew of Safira and Kyouya is done. ^^ I just need to find a scanner. That's why it's been taking so long, haha. But once I find one the whole world can see. :]

So this is how everyone is related in case if someone got confused.

Rima is married to Keiji. Daichi is Rima's half brother and Karin was his daughter – which made Karin, Rima and Keiji's niece. Everyone get it? :D

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading. Hope everyone has a great day. ^.^


	18. Karin's Final Sign

a/n: Thanks so much for all the reviews, story alerts and favorite authors and stuff. It means a lot. :] I don't really like this chapter. Hopefully you guys do though. I'm kind of nervous about it.

In the words of my awesome Beta; this chapter is the calm before the storm. ^^

College starts next week. =[ I just got my books today. Aaah. Noo. I wish I was sixteen again. *sigh*

~:*:~

**Chapter 18: Karin's Final Sign**

~:*:~

Keiji did not come home until the children were both put to bed. Rima was waiting for him in their bedroom, dressed in a lavender silk nightgown with a lamplight pouring over herself and her distraction. She flipped through the pages of a worn out romance novel, a book that she had read over and over. However she wasn't paying any attention to it, skimming through the pages to try to soothe her nerves.

What was taking him so long?

She was just about to get up and call the prison when Keiji walked through the bedroom threshold. He held a tissue to his nose, already drenched with his blood. She could see from underneath it that his nose was dislocated. Rima darted towards him, her arms outstretched.

"What happened?" Her voice rang with surprise.

"Your brother. What did you expect?" Keiji replied thickly. Rima led him to the edge of the bed and sat him down, her eyes large. "Of course he would blame me for Karin's death."

"You just stay right here and tilt your head back," Rima told him, in a really fussy motherly sort of way. "I'm going to get a wash cloth."

When she came back with a soaked rag, he had done exactly what she had told him to do. Rima approached him cautiously before removing the tissue, slowly washing the blood off his face with the small towel. Rima skillfully cupped the back of her husband's head, her slender fingers twining through his dark hair.

There was a small pause. The only sound was of Rima's light breathing as she continued to work over him, being careful not to cause further damage to his nose.

"You're too good to me," he finally replied. His tone was a bit solemn. "I don't deserve your kindness. Daichi was right. I should have been able to save her."

Rima was startled by such a statement. "No. Don't say that. It wasn't your fault. People like this Grave Digger… they shouldn't exist. He's to blame. Not you."

Keiji sucked in a breath. "She was my niece. How can I not feel this way?"

He closed his eyes, pained.

"Do you know what it's like? You see that rose and the lily above the freshly piled dirt and by the time you get there… you see that you have uncovered your own family. You feel like you're the one responsible. I kept thinking – if only I had been faster, smarter, then maybe I would have been able to save her. But in the end, it was all hopeless."

Rima slowly lowered the wash cloth from his face, her green eyes flickering with a sense of sympathy and sorrow. She gently brushed his dark hair from his eyes, resting her forehead against his own.

"I'm heartbroken too, Keiji." Rima whispered, her sweet breath rushing over his face. "My chest aches every time I think of it. She was our niece and yet…we hardly knew her. But that doesn't stop me from hurting. Daichi would never let us visit. The last time I saw her was when she was twelve years old." Tears stung in the back of her beautiful emerald eyes. "To think that so much time passed and we didn't even get the chance to get to know her. I've been torn up about it all day."

"I know." Keiji whispered painfully. He twisted the back of his head out from underneath Rima's hand and placed it against the bed. Silently he reached his hands up around his wife's smaller frame and rubbing between her shoulder blades in hopes to calm her. "I didn't even recognize her right away. It had been so long. But it didn't take too long to know. A wave of shock ran through me, you know?"

Rima's head lay against his chest, his chin resting over her head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Just please don't tell me that you've been crying all day. I hope that the carnival cheered you up."

Rima's smile was soft against his shirt. "Yes, it did. I actually had a lot of fun at work today too. This new girl is working together with us at the Ootori mansion. We sang Disney songs together. While we were signing, I felt a lot better. It was a momentary distraction but it still helped. I think being there will be much more enjoyable from now on."

Keiji pulled back, staring at his wife strangely. "Disney songs? I had no idea that you still liked such things."

"It happens when you have two beautiful daughters," she replied with a soft smile. "You find that you enjoy simple things."

Keiji smiled for a brief moment before his features grew slack. A dark shadow fell over his face and Rima could tell that he was still thinking back to when he had found Karin. But there was something that he was not telling her. She frowned, cupping the side of his face. "Did you find something else?"

He hesitated at first before nodding. "Yeah. Karin left us a sign."

She felt her air lock within her throat. "And? What was it?"

"She carved something on top of the lid of her coffin," Keiji replied slowly. His brows were furrowed in thought. "She carved so hard that we found bits of her fingernails inside the etching. It was of two English letters. RK."

Rima stared.

"I'm not exactly sure what it means," he said, calculating. "But it may be the Grave Diggers initials or even a clue to his whereabouts. I don't know but we're definitely going to look into it."

Rima paused. Her face was pinched with distress. She reached down and gave Keiji's hand a tight squeeze, frowning.

"Keiji…" she began slowly. "Do you think that the Grave Digger chose Karin because he knows that she's related to us? If he's been keeping up with the papers then he must know that you were somehow related to her. What if he keeps coming after our family? Our girls…"

"I would never let that happen, Rima." Keiji said firmly. "I'll protect you and my children. No matter what." He ran his thumbs from underneath her eyes, capturing a few tears that had escaped. "Now hush… don't speak of such things."

Rima smiled weakly and then lowered her face to his. She heard him give a slight gasp, her own air failing. It was amazing how long they had been together and yet, the feeling of his lips pressed against her own always affected her the same way. When Rima pulled away, Keiji was smiling.

"That was –"

He was cut off by an explosion of pain as his wife grabbed his nose, jerking it back into place. Keiji howled in agony, tears instinctively filling up his eyes as he writhed on the bed, hand clutching over his nose.

"What was that for?" He hissed painfully through is teeth.

Rima smiled brightly. "Well you wouldn't have let me put it back into place if I told you I was gonna do it. I had to distract you somehow."

"You're evil. You know that?" Keiji said. "You may look all cute and innocent. But you're evil."

"You know you love me," she said, giving him a swift peck on the lips. She rolled so that she could cross over to the other side of the bed, burying herself in the covers and reaching up for the lamplight's switch. "Good night Mr. Handsome!" She said with a cheerful wave, the room instantly flooding into darkness.

Keiji sighed roughly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…" he grumbled.

~:*:~

"Pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy is when less blood can be pumped by the left ventricle because it is enlarged or weakened. As you can see here in this diagram, the cavity is too big compared to how a normal hearts should appear. Now if you are lucky you can live with it. If not, then you die of congestive heart failure. That's where heart transplants come in handy."

Some of the class gave a slight chuckle. However Kyouya did not appear amused. He stared ahead as the teacher then went on to explain the difference between dilated and hypertonic cardiomyopathy, clicking a small button over his remote to show them a new slide on the overhead.

He already knew what was being taught. As his father ran a booming medical company, it was only a given. Despite Kyouya's current apathetic behavior, Tamaki seemed to be fascinated and was quickly jotting down notes inside his notebook, his eyebrows pulled together in concentration. At this time they were now within their anatomy class, which meant that instead of desks they were given large and lengthy black tables and one other person to sit beside you.

Tamaki had been next to Kyouya for the entire year. They were on the far left side of the classroom, second row. Kyouya released a small yawn before lazily reaching for his pencil, deciding that it was best to take notes even if he already knew the current subject; he had to remain the top of his class after all. He cupped cheek in his free hand as he wrote, his glasses reflecting his script.

As he wrote down information about enlarged stiffed septum's and ventricles, his mind began to wander back over to Safira. What was she doing right now? Probably cleaning. She was a maid after all, it was to be expected. But what if he came home and she had started a whole new song and Mio was passed out drunk on the floor? He would have to lock his Father's wine cellar if that happened.

But Safira had also been taking care of that bird. He might very well find her taking care of it and neglecting her chores.

Did she ever think things through? When that hummingbird grew up it was going to zoom all over the house. What if his Father came home and found a hummingbird dancing inside the estate? The thought alone was almost horrifying. He would have to make sure that Safira kept that bird within Fuyumi's bedroom.

_She is becoming such a troublesome girl_, Kyouya thought to himself. _What is she going to do next? Sing songs from _High School Musical _and teach the maids how to dance? _If Kyouya came home and found everybody dribbling basketballs and pulling miraculous dance moves inside his living room, he may have to arrange it for Safira to live with Tamaki. He would probably simply love the songs and musical numbers.

But despite how much she annoyed him, Kyouya had never before felt so strangely intrigued by a person in his entire life. She had a strange sort of aura about her and no matter how close he got to discovering who she was, the information just as easily slipped out of his fingers. No matter how hard he tried, he knew nothing. But she was always so cheerful. Her smile and her laugh stunned him speechless and her sapphire eyes enthralled him to no end. Her kindness for even the smallest of things, made him question her motives but she never seemed to care.

And he didn't even know her real name.

"Kyouya! Hey, Kyouya!"

Kyouya's mind hurtled back to earth at the sound of Tamaki's voice and he was surprised to see him waving his hand in front of his face to capture his attention.

"Jeesh. That must have been some great daydream you were in. I've been trying to get your attention for almost five minutes," Tamaki said. "Sensei says that we're supposed to start a project. One of us has to write a paper and the other has to make a diagram of dilated, hypertonic, or restrictive cardiomyopathy. Which one should we do?"

"I don't care," Kyouya replied wearily. He closed his notebook softly. "How about dilated? When it's dilated the heart is bigger and fatter; it'll be easier for you to draw."

Tamaki almost fell straight out of his chair from such a reply, releasing a strange cry in the process, insulted.

"How is it that when you try to be thoughtful, it comes off as really bluntly cold and calloused at the same time?" Tamaki whined, resting his chin in his hand. "And when did we decide that I would be the one drawing the diagram?"

"Ever since the last project we had when we were partners. Somehow you related the scientific method to the everyday life of commoner's." Kyouya replied smoothly, sliding his glasses up from the bridge of his nose. "That is why _I_ will be writing the essay."

"Thanks to you the teacher didn't even get to read it!" Tamaki cried, waving his arms madly. "That was a brilliant piece of writing!"

"I apologize, but the sake of me being at the top of the class would have been at stake if we turned in that rubbish." Kyouya replied robotically. "And it really was _my_ burden to bear in the end; I had to rewrite that entire essay."

"We would have received an outstanding grade if we turned mine in!" Tamaki argued. "It was genius!"

Kyouya sighed. He did not have the strength to continue on fighting back and forth with Tamaki. The argument was going to be pointless in the end. So instead Kyouya asked Tamaki to start drawing and he would begin writing a rough draft in his notebook. However Kyouya had only begun to write his name at the right hand corner of his paper, when he felt Tamaki's eyes burning into his shoulder. Confused, Kyouya turned.

Tamaki's smile was thin but his eyes were glowing with a sense of knowledge that Kyouya found strangely redundant. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, staring at Tamaki with an arched eyebrow. "Now what?"

"So the twins were right after all," Tamaki replied thoughtfully. "Hmm. How interesting. If you need any advice Kyouya, the Host Club will happily open their doors!"

Kyouya knew at once what Tamaki meant and without even thinking of it, he rolled up his notebook and smacked the blonde over the head like a dog, who let out a surprised yelp.

"Shut up." He said deadpanned. "I'm sick of all these ridiculous accusations."

_Ahh… denial, _purred the dragon. _Such a sad way to live_.

_Shut it_. Kyouya growled. _I am not in denial. There is nothing to even deny in the first place_.

He reopened his notebook and quickly begun to write about the enlarged cavity in the heart when it came to dilated cardiomyopathy. And yet, he found that he almost couldn't concentrate because Safira's face kept appearing in his head. It was irritating and Kyouya didn't understand why he would be thinking about her in the first place. She had nothing to do with this project.

Except for the fact that when her smile flashed across his mind, his own heart would expand. It felt strange; like it was too big for his chest.

And little did he realize that it was because he was steadily becoming filled by someone else.

~:*:~

"Best two out of three," Lily said in a voice that resembled sugar. "Ready?"

"Yup," Shugo replied.

"_Rock, paper, scissors, go_!"

"Paper," Shugo said smugly. "You?"

"Rock, I win!" Lily rang happily.

"What? Hey. That's not fair. I have paper! Hello? Paper powns rock!"

"Uh, no." Lily said, her voice dripping with authority. "I don't know if you realize this but it's raining outside; the paper got drenched and tore. So I win."

Lily could almost feel him glaring on the other end. "You know this isn't exactly a fair game over the phone," he said with a frown. "I can't even see what you're doing."

"It's funner this way!"

"No, you mean it's easier for you to _cheat_ that way." Shugo countered.

Lily pouted, shifting the phone between her shoulder and cheek. "Well I would play with Uriah because he's here but he won't play with me anymore. He's just sitting here playing some stupid Pokemon game."

Shugo snorted. "I can see why. You probably come up with all these ridiculous stories to make yourself win. And don't diss Pokemon; it's a way of life."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Geek."

"Cheater."

"Cheya! I caught Entei!" Uriah shouted with a large cheer.

"Suicune is better!" Shugo shouted through the receiver causing Lily to flinch, pulling the phone away form her ear.

"Lies!" Uriah yelled.

"You're both nerds," Lily growled into the phone. "Stop talking about Pokemon already!"

Shugo laughed. "Sorry."

Lily smiled and shifted inside the hospital bed, careful not to dislodge all the tubes and wires. If only Shugo could see her now. How different she already looked; the faint blue tinge to her skin, her angel hair down and sprawled over her pillow with the absence of ribbons. The fairy-light bones were too fragile for her to handle. Her heart ached with every throb, purple rings underneath her eyes of jade. Lily sighed closing her eyes tiredly.

"Are you okay?" Shugo's voice rang with worry. "What's happening?"

"Nothing, I'm just sleepy." Lily said with a small yawn. She closed her eyes, resting them.

There was a small pause. The only thing that could be heard was Shugo's breathing on the other end of the phone and Uriah pressing buttons. Lily frowned as a thought flashed across her mind.

"Shugo?"

"Mmm?"

"When I get a new heart… do you think that I'll be different?" Lily inquired softly. "I mean… what if the person who dies was really mean. Will I end up being mean too?"

"No, Lily. When you wake up you'll be exactly the same. A heart is only an organ. It won't determine your personality, even if the person was mean."

Lily was quiet and not entirely convinced. "Yeah, but people always say stuff like 'oh, she has a really good heart' or 'his heart is made out of stone'. I'm scared. I don't want to change."

"You won't."

"How do you know?" Lily asked lightly. "What if I wake up and I hate everything? What if I'm mean to everyone? I won't have any friends if I'm mean."

"You'll always have friends," Shugo told her. "And besides; a girl as wonderful and kind as you, could never be mean. Remember what mom used to say? You're a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul. Your soul is what determines who you are, Lily. Don't worry."

Lily felt a little bit better. She smiled softly before she bit down on her bottom lip, hesitating. There was something that she had wanted to tell him. Something that had been on her mind since she had first woken up.

"Shugo," Lily began slowly. "I-I've been meaning to tell you. I think I saw sissy at the carnival."

Lily could have sworn that she heard him stop breathing.

"It happened just before I blacked out," Lily said. "I saw her with this group of people. She… she looked so happy."

Silence.

"But… I don't know. I might have imagined it or it could have been a dream," Lily added her tone soft. "I screamed for her but she couldn't hear me. I was up too high on the Ferris wheel – Nii-san? Are you still there?"

Shugo didn't respond to her but she could hear him arguing with someone in the background. A cop maybe? He was asking for just a few more minutes but the officer did not seem to comply, telling him to hang up because his time limit was over.

"Lily I have to go. They're making me get off," Shugo said with much frustration. "I can talk to you again in a few days; I don't get to use the phone daily. So when I call please pick –"

There was a forceful 'click'. Lily paused almost stunned to hear the dial tone blaring in her ear, her mouth settling into a small frown. With a sigh she placed the phone back into its cradle, wondering if she really had seen her older sister or if it had just been a wonderful hallucination before her heart began to die.

~:*:~

When Kyouya walked into the door, he was engulfed with an aroma that reminded him of gingerbread men and apples. He was momentarily stunned by such a strong scent that he was barely even aware that his book bag had slipped off from his shoulder, his gray eyes almost watering from such a powerful fragrance. It was as if his whole house had been marinated in it.

"What the heck is this about?" Kyouya grumbled. He wondered why he had even asked in the first place. There was obviously only one person who would do something so obnoxious.

"Hello Kyouya-sa-" Mio blinked as Kyouya marched right passed her, completely disregarding the tray of sushi she held in her hands. On his way up the stairs, he was stopped by Suzume who was raving:

"She did it! She finally did it – the animals! They are among us!" She cried, running frantically down the stairs and towards Mio. "Quick! We need to find a bow and arrow!"

"For the love of Pete, Suzume it's a _hummingbird_! It's not a freaking hawk!" Mio snarled before popping one of her own handmade sushi rolls into her mouth. Suzume stared. "What? If he's not gonna eat 'em then someone should!"

Kyouya sucked in a sharp breath before coming to Fuyumi's door. Fuyumi had left a week ago after the carnival, so now Safira had the room entirely to herself. His father had still not returned.

"Safira," Kyouya said loudly, rapping his knuckles against the door. "Safira, open up."

When she didn't answer he let himself in.

The room was probably the smallest in the house. It was of regular size but the bed was large, with oversized plush pillows and blankets. Propped against two pillows was the octopus Fuyumi had won for Safira at the carnival. Safira had her back to him, typing away on the computer that Fuyumi left.

"Safira? What are you do –"

"Kyouya! Did you know this?" Safira cried. She whirled around to face him on a large black spinney chair, blue eye large. Kyouya was taken aback by the sudden look of urgency on her face that he could do nothing but raise a questioning eyebrow.

"Know what?" He asked.

"A hummingbird can starve to death within an hour! An _hour_!" Safira stressed, completely panicked. "I've been running up and down all day, making sure that it'll be okay!

Safira tilted her head over the chair, eyes landing on a dresser with one of its drawers popped out. The baby hummer was rested securely within the drawer, surrounded by thousands of soft looking clothes and towels. From underneath the comfort, Safira had placed a few heating pads to keep the chick warm. It hardly had any feathers after all; it had to be kept warm somehow.

"And – _and_ – when they go to sleep they go into this weird hibernation-like state. It's called torpor! And if the hummingbird is weak, it can be fatal! What if it goes to sleep and it doesn't wake up?" Safira clutched either side of her head, face pink with panic. "I've been only feeding it sugar water and some small crushed bugs, because it can't eat full ones. It needs its protein you know, so bugs are essential! But what if I'm going about this all wrong? What if Abella is really weak and ends up passing away in her sleep? GAAH!"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow. "Abella?" He repeated.

Safira suddenly perked up, smiling sweetly. "Yes! Her name is Abella which is short for Adorabelle!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes. _I should have known that it would be something absurd_.

"Well I regret to inform you that I never had such knowledge about hummingbirds," Kyouya said with a slight shift of his glasses. "I'm sure that if _Abella_ has been living here for about a week now, then you should be doing just fine. In any case I came here because I'm concerned about why the mansion smells like the mixture of a pastry and an apple orchard."

"Oh, do you like it?" Safira inquired real chipper-like, her face bright with a sparkling smile. "It's _Febreze_! Gingerbread and Apple Spice! Rima, Suzume and I found it while we were grocery shopping. I like the Gingerbread scent better than Apple Spice though. The Gingerbread reminds me of cookies baking in the fall! It makes me think of a real homey house and I figured you would want your house to feel homey."

Kyouya's face was completely expressionless.

"Yes, well next time please only spray what is necessary. I fear that I'm going die of nasal congestion." Kyouya said as he lightly massaged the back of his neck. "And did you ever think that the fumes could be bad for the bird?"

Big mistake. Safira instantly tore out of her chair, swiftly rushing pass him and tearing down the stairs while exclaiming:

"Rima! Suzume! Mio! Open all the doors and windows – AND WE NEED A WHOLE TON OF FANS!"

"How many?" Rima called.

"I dunno! Like – ten?" Safira answered.

"_Ten_?!" Mio exploded. "Where in the hell are we going to get ten fans? And for WHAT?"

"I'll go get _sooommme_," Rima practically sang as if it were the most regular of requests. Kyouya could just picture her skipping off to search for them.

"We're never going to find any!" Mio roared. "How are we supposed to – Hey, back of Suzume! This is my sushi!"

Kyouya sighed tiredly. He could barely remember what the house used to be like before Safira came here. If he remembered correctly, the maids had been polite and kept to themselves. Ever since she came to live and work with them, they had been as loud as a bunch of noisy teenaged girls.

Just then the little hummer gave a small squeak. Kyouya blinked, turning around to face it, his hand hovering above the tie around his neck. The baby struggled within the matting, its little mouth opening and closing widely. Kyouya stared at the thing strangely before realizing that it must be hungry.

Kyouya sighed once more before crossing over to 'Abella'. On top of the dresser was a small eyedropper with a small thin tube fitted into it, resembling an IV catheter. The eye drop was filled with water but it looked thick and almost milky. He figured that Safira had filled it with sugar water and slowly lifted it up, examining it closely before Abella gave an anxious chirp.

Unsure what he was really doing, Kyouya bent down at the little birds level. Upon seeing the eyedropper between his fingers the hummer moved closer, flapping its pathetic excuse of wings in excitement. Carefully Kyouya placed the eyedropper through the hummer's mouth and down its throat, like the way a mother hummingbird may do for its chicks. Kyouya kept its head up with only the use of his index finger, watching curiously as its throat moved back and forth rapidly. It was eating. He was glad.

"I'm so sorry, Abella! You must be starving! I'll feed you right –" Safira stopped in mid-sentence, halting in the doorway. When her eyes landed upon him they grew wide, surprised to see him taking care of Abella.

Kyouya hesitated, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "It was uh… hungry."

Safira only stared.

Kyouya blinked, his eyebrows meeting. "_What_?" He demanded indecorously. "I'm not made out of ice you know."

"Oh, no, no! I'm sorry!" Safira said, her cheeks instantly turning pink. She looked to the ground, fiddling with her hands. "It's just that, I didn't expect to find you up here doing that. It just looked very… sweet."

Kyouya paused. He turned and very slowly extracted the feeding tube from the hummingbird's mouth. Leisurely he came to a stand and turned to face Safira, handing the object towards her, his face as hard as stone.

"Here. You feed it." He said darkly. "I have no intentions of being called _sweet_."

Safira blushed crimson. "I-I'm sorry!" She gasped. "You didn't look sweet at all! In fact you looked very strong and manly while you were feeding it! Yes, very, very manly!"

Kyouya stared at her with an unemotional expression, his glasses bouncing off the light in the room. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He inquired blandly.

Safira shook her head, looking up at him with wide big blue eyes. "N-no! I- I really mean it, Kyouya-kun! No matter what you do, you can always achieve it while looking incredibly dark and masculine!"

Kyouya sighed. He couldn't help but feel that the more she went on, the worse it only became. "Just feed your bird," he said, handing her the eyedropper. "Before the situation turns dire."

"Y-yes," she stuttered. As she reached for the eyedropper Kyouya noticed the words _RK _engraved into her skin once more. His silver eyes burned into the strange markings, his gaze narrowing. Even when she had taken the object and turned to aid Abella, his stare did not soften.

What had happened to her? Such a scar was not accidental. It was intentional. But by whom? And _why_? Did Safira stare at it constantly, wondering the story behind such a terrible etching? How many times a day did she stop and wonder who she really was, who she might have been? Why hadn't her family come for her? Did they really not care that their daughter or sister was missing? Or could the situation be worse? What if they were dead?

But that little girl. The one he had saw at the store. She had resembled Safira so much that it had shocked Kyouya to his very core. And yet, he couldn't find a scrap of information on her either, other than that she lived within a foster home.

If the two were related, then it was a very strong possibility that something happened to Safira's parents. Or that they were still alive but incapable of taking care of her; reasons like those were how most children ended up in foster care.

He had to tell her.

Kyouya sucked in a sharp breath. For some reason his nerves had arisen. He didn't understand why. He shouldn't feel nervous about something that may very well lead her back to her family.

"Kyouya," Safira whispered softly.

Her back was facing him as she fed the baby hummer, leaving him to wonder what her expression was. She sounded troubled but he was unsure as to why. Whatever he had been about to say was forgotten.

"Yes?"

"I… have a favor to ask of you," she said. Kyouya watched as Safira rose to a stand, placing the eyedropper atop of the dresser. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, shimmering beautifully in the light; she still did not turn to face him. "You've done so much for me already. It might be selfish of me to ask for more but I can't help but want it badly."

Kyouya didn't have the slightest clue to what she was talking about. Frowning he crossed his arms, eyes empty and confused over her back.

"I've been giving it a lot of thought over the passed few weeks," Safira said. "And… I can understand if you say no… but…"

"Could you please clarify?" Kyouya demanded. "Because I am lost."

Safira jumped at his tone before turned to face him, eyes now a pale blue and cheeks flushed.

"I – I want to go to school!" She exclaimed. Her tone mirrored her desperate face.

Kyouya's eyebrows jerked upward. He was clearly not expecting such a statement. An icy silence bridged between them, neither one tearing their eyes away. Safira seemed to be aware that she was turning red because she finally cast her eyes downward.

"S-sorry! Stupid me." She gave a nervous laugh, twirling a piece of blonde hair. "I-I'm sorry to have bothered yo-"

"That's all?" Kyouya inquired blankly. Her head jerked up, sucking in a tight breath. "That could easily be arranged…"

~:*:~

a/n: coughcoughforeshaowcoughcough

It's now my bedtime. Yay! ^.^ *Merrily whisks Kyouya away*


	19. Purple Haired chan

a/n: The title was supposed to be _Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan _but it wouldn't fit. Sigh. But we'll just pretend that's what it says on the little scroll thingy. ^^ I hope you like the chapter. :]

~:*:~

**Chapter 19: Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan**

~:*:~

His hands were closing around her neck. Mea gasped for air and clawed at his fingers. But she couldn't break free. She couldn't escape.

A smile spread over his lips. And then an eerie, sinister laughter erupted. He lowered his forehead and placed it against hers, staring directly into her eyes as Mea struggled for oxygen. Such a weak creature she was.

"You're going to disappoint me, darling," he whispered in a low sadistic tone. "I would have thought that you would have put up more of a fight than this. Tsk, tsk… how pitiful."

Mea made a faint gurgling sound. Her blue eyes grew impossibly wide. He hoisted her up from the ground, her back against the wall. His eyes shined maliciously as she resisted.

"Give me the files, Mea." He said in a low hushed tone. "Give me the files. I'll let you live. I'll even let you see your little friend one last time. All you have to do is surrender."

He loosened his grip just slightly, only enough to let her speak. Her eyes were rolling in the back of her head. Tears intermingled with her dark locks of hair as she sucked in a much needed breath.

"I'd r-rather… die."

His eyes turned into slits. He released her throat so quickly that Mea collapsed onto the ground, falling on her knees. Mea wheezed loudly, fingers trailing over her throat to where his fingers had once pressed. Her breathing was loud and strained, shoulders shaking from the lack of air. Her blue eyes were set into a loathsome stare, piercing through him.

The look in her eyes. He didn't like it. He shifted from underneath her gaze as though she could see through him, invading his soul. Such pain behind those eyes – it was as if she was blaming him for it! This could have all been so easily prevented! Didn't she understand that?

He didn't like this. He didn't like her eyes. Blue. So blue. Just like…

He came back to his senses with a start. The man snarled and struck Mea so hard that she cried out, her head swerving in the opposite direction.

"Don't look at me like that," he growled, struggling for breath. He could feel his hand shaking. "This is your own fault. If you would just return the information then we wouldn't be in this little mess. You brought this suffering upon yourself!"

"Like hell!" Mea rasped. "You can blame no one else but yourself! You murderer!"

Her eyes. They shined with such intent. They were so blue. Why? Why were they so blue?! Why did she have to be like her?

"Stop it!" He hissed. He turned and shielded his eyes as though he had just stepped out of the darkness and into the sunlight. He moaned loudly, his face twisted with torture. "Why? Why do you have her eyes? Why? Stop it! Don't look at me! STOP IT!"

Mea screamed as his fist collided into her face. Her hair spun around with the movement of her head, her cheek now red and swollen. Mea didn't dare look up at him. Instead she kept her eyes locked onto the floor, rubbing her injury.

He clenched his hands into fists. He clenched them so hard that his nails pricked his palms, making them bleed. With a low and furious hiss, he turned on his heel and marched up the basement stairs.

"Take this time to think about what you have done," he whispered vehemently. He slammed the door behind him, following the narrow hallway into his kitchen.

He began to pace back and forth like a caged lion, grumbling promises of revenge and death, his eyes burning into the ground.

Mea. Mea was such a difficult nuisance. If only he could rid himself of her – if only he didn't _need_ her. There had to be a way to get her to cooperate. There had to be a way to make her see things his way. The horse draws most, is most whipped as they said. All he had to do was break her. Make her bend to his will. Make her accept the fact that he was handling her now. She was not free. She was his until he no longer needed her.

Just then he stopped moving. His eyes lit up as a sinister plot began to unfold, the cogs of his mind slowly beginning to turn. A memory crawled back into his psyche. Something Mea had once said…

"_ONE DAY THEY WILL FIND YOU!" Mea screamed. "AND WHEN THEY DO YOU'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE! YOU'LL PAY FOR ALL THOSE WOMEN YOU'VE KILLED! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE! _MY FAMILY WILL LOOK FOR ME_! __THEY'LL FIND ME__!"_

Her family. Ah, yes. Why hadn't he thought of this sooner? If Mea insisted on being so brave and so noble… then what would happen when he threw her family into the picture? He wondered if she would she be so keen on locking away those files _then_?

A jolt of excitement ran through him. Yes! This was it! Oh, he would find her now…

His chest rose and fell from the amount of joy that swelled within him. He tore into his darkroom, eagerly searching through countless pictures. It was around here somewhere. That picture of his Beloved standing with Mea's family. He thumbed through the pictures, stopping every now and then to stare at his long lost love.

_Soon my darling_, he thought. _We'll be together soon_.

At last he found it. He pulled it up and stared down at the photograph. He had snatched it from one of his Beloved's photo albums because he couldn't help but love the look of joy over her face, standing with a family that wasn't even her own. It was a Christmas picture that had been taken about two years ago. Mea was probably about fourteen and his love fifteen. She looked so lovely in a light pink kimono, littered with colorful flowers and designs. Her gemstone eyes shone beautifully. Standing beside her was Mea, already a few inches taller than her friend despite the fact that she was younger than her and clothed in a dark navy kimono that had pretty light blue stars slowly pouring downward. On either side of the girls were both of Mea's parents and between them a little girl, Mea's younger sister. Like both of the girls she was also wearing a kimono but hers was violet and if looked at closely enough, were the images of _Hello Kitty_ mixed within the cherry blossoms designed on it. Behind the happy family was a large Christmas tree, gleaming in all its beautiful splendor.

Mea's little sister looked to be about seven in this picture. She would be a little bit older now. Taking Mea's mother or father simply would not do. They were both too old, too strong. But her sister… ahh. That would work out just fine.

Her little sister didn't resemble Mea that much. Unlike her sister she had light brown hair. In the picture it was only brushing her shoulders but now it would be longer, probably about to her chest. Her eyes were a startling shade of gray whereas Mea's blue.

Sick laughter caught within his throat. Oh, yes. It would only be a matter of time now. There were rules to his game. Rules to make sure that he would cover his tracks, so that he would never get caught. The little tramp knew too much. And soon, so would her sister.

Which meant that they were both on their way to bye-bye.

He stared back at the picture, eyes focusing in on his love. A strange smile stretched across his mouth, stroking the image of her smiling face. She had been making this so difficult for him. But once he found her again, all would be forgiven. It was easy to get confused in times like these, he told himself. She was just a naïve woman, she couldn't help it. They belonged together. Once he showed her how much he cared, how much effort he had put into finding her, she would come back into his open arms.

How could he not forgive her?

~:*:~

"Who the heck is she?"

"Tamaki's cousin?"

"No way. She seems a lot more like, Honey. Do you think that they're related?"

"I dunno. But her bag keeps chirping. It's kind of freaking me out."

Safira was completely oblivious to what was being said about her as she made her way to her classroom, humming a merry little song that sounded a like it was supposed to be _A Whole New World_ from _Aladdin_ but due to her poor vocals, ended up sounding like a mixture between strep throat and an overdose of sugar.

"Her voice is horrible! I hope she doesn't sing everyday!"

Safira paused for a moment as she turned her head in random directions, apparently looking for a class but was unsure of where to go. But then her eyes landed upon the small cluster of gossiping girls and she smiled brightly, skipping right up to them.

"Hello. I'm sorry to bother you but could you please point in me in the right direction? I think I'm a bit lost. This place is very huge." Safira said pleasantly. Her bag gave a small squeak and she placed her hand over it, trying to muffle it. "I'm looking for Class 2-A. I think that I'm supposed to be in an English class right now?"

"Oh… we're in Class 1-D. I'm not very sure where any of the 2-A classes would be." One of the girls answered ruefully. "But, uh – there was a girl here not too long ago. She just registered here a month ago. She's in that class I think. You can ask her."

Safira smiled largely. "Alright! Where did she go?"

"Uhhh… that way?" It was more of a question than a statement. The girl pointed towards the end of the hallway. "I think I saw her turn right. You can't miss her; she has purple hair."

"Ok! Thank you!" She said with a large smile, resembling that of a child's. "I will find the Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan! Thank you for your wisdom class of 1-D!"

The group all blinked staring after her, perplexed. Was it normal for someone to smile so much? Didn't her face hurt?

"I wonder how Alichina-san is going to react? I mean… that girl… she never smiles." One of the girls said thoughtfully. "Maybe we should call her back? I don't want to be responsible if Alichina snatches the new girl's soul!"

"No, she'll be fine." Another answered. "Besides, it's not like she could really do anything in the school… right?"

~:*:~

It was not an easy task to get Safira into school but being, well, _him_ it was eventually done.

Kyouya had first suggested Safira to take the entrance exams for Ouran Public High School due to the amount of debt she was already in. But for some strange reasoning that Kyouya could not fathom, she had insisted on going to the same school as himself. He really did not understand why she would feel the need to sink herself even deeper into debt, and when he had asked, she had truthfully replied that she wanted to be with him.

Ridiculous. How could just the mere presence of himself have any affect on her education?

But then Kyouya remembered Haruhi's situation and told Safira that if he found an appropriate scholarship for her, then she would be able to attend Ouran Academy with him and without having to pay anything.

There were several kinds of scholarships that Safira could apply for. They offered talent scholarships, for things such as sports, dancing, and singing. However Safira was such a klutz. If they had a scholarship for the talents of tripping over air, then Safira would have had no problem getting into Ouran Academy. Singing was… well… Kyouya didn't want to think about that. The very thought alone caused unpleasant shivers throughout his body.

An academic scholarship was out of the question because of her memory loss. How could she be expected to get an outstanding grade on her exam when she couldn't even recognize an octopus?

Kyouya dug more into talent scholarships, hoping that Safira could pertain to at least oneof them. He found one for art and gave Safira a piece of paper, asking her to draw him a picture to see if she contained any artistic talent. But after a grueling four hours, a stick with two arms and a circle for a head was apparently equivalent to the Mona Lisa, and a square was somehow a mountainside. Safira had been quite pleased with it and was planning to now frame it and hang it in her room. But Kyouya was not as thrilled.

There had to be something for her. He found scholarships for musical instruments and somehow got a hold of a flute, telling Safira to attempt to play.

Bad idea. Her music playing was just as bad as her singing. Safira had only been playing for about two seconds before Kyouya snatched the thing away, in fear that his eardrums may suffer for the rest of his life.

It was starting to look pretty hopeless. Kyouya had just about given up, reaching his limit when he came home one day to find Safira busy in the kitchen. She had been making all sorts of sweets for the fellow maids, telling him that she considered all three of them her friends and that they deserved to relax and eat something sugary once in a while. Kyouya was thoroughly pleased. Not with her answer or caring heart but more of the fact…

She could cook. Not just sweets but other things too. And Ouran had a scholarship for culinary arts. Finally! The girl had a talent! After that discovery it only took a matter of seconds for Kyouya to recommend Safira to the chairman and since Tamaki was his son, it wasn't that hard to convince him to give her a go for the scholarship.

Since Safira had a debt to the Ootori family, she still worked in the mansion but now it was only very early in the morning. By lunch time she would arrive at Ouran to serve lunch to the middle school to earn extra money, and then attended the afternoon classes until the end of the day. After school she had gotten herself employed as a member of the staff, a janitor. And once she came home for the day she had to take the classes she had missed in the morning online.

_What's taking her so long?_

Kyouya glanced at his watch, attempting to appear anything except for concerned. Despite the worry clenching at his insides, he kept his eyes vacant and his face nonchalant. It had already been five minutes into the class. Kyouya was unable to meet her all the way down at the front entrance because he would have never made it back to this class, which was on the complete other side of the school.

He could never risk being tardy.

What happened? Was she lost?

Kyouya could just picture her skipping around the school, wearing a ditzy smile and humming Disney songs to herself as she searched for the classroom, probably completely unaware of how she was scaring all the innocent bystanders who were totally speechless due to her remarkable behavior.

Kyouya's face hardened as an image flashed through his mind, one of Safira obliviously walking around the school and accidentally bumping into random walls. She really shouldn't daydream as she walked.

"Kyouya! Where is Safira? Do you think that she got into an accident? What if she was kidnapped?" Tamaki whispered swiftly, hoping not to attract any attention but that seemed to be the only thing he was bringing. The students were all looking towards Tamaki and Kyouya with confused faces. "Kyouya! What if the Mafia came and took her hostage?! As members of the Host Club – we have to do something!"

Kyouya only stared down at his notebook, pretending to write notes. "Stop watching the Godfather every night. She's probably just lost."

At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

~:*:~

Alichina was going to die.

She could hardly see anyone as she tore down the hallway. It was like she was running down a black tunnel, searching desperately for the light on the other end. She knew that there were other kids in the hallway but it's not like they were paying any attention to her. Nobody ever did. She was invisible.

She had to escape. The voices. They were still whispering, calling out to her. Their screams, faint, fleeting cries that snaked into her consciousness like wraiths in the night. They needed help. They were dying. Each and every one of them were dying. Alichina wanted to help. But she couldn't. She couldn't save any of them.

No one believed her.

No one believed that the Grave Digger's victims were screaming out to her inside her head.

"_H-help me!_" The woman's whispery plea echoed inside Alichina's mind. "_Someone please… please… help me…_"

"Go away!" Alichina hissed. She grabbed onto her head like if she clung hard enough, the voices would leave her alone. "Stop it! Just stop!" She pumped her legs faster, harder. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she would get away…

"_I… I can't breathe… Let go! Let go!_ _Plea...se… I'm…dy…_" The whisper faded, as if the girl were growing weaker. Images flashed like photographs across Alichina's mind. She saw a row of coffins standing against a wall. Each planned and carved to perfection, ready to embrace their next victims in death's cold night. Chains rattled and shook. Fingers scratched at the hands. Low, spine-tingling laugher bubbled from within a man's throat, rendering through Alichina's head and causing goose bumps to rise from all around her arms and shoulders.

"Ugh…" Alichina had to stop running. The images and the voices… they were exhausting. She leaned against the side of a wall, gasping for breath. Her head was bent down, violet hair veiling her eyes and face.

Alichina could feel it. Could feel the girl's pain. The girl's panic. Her tears. Her lungs begging for air.

_His hands were closing around her throat. He hoisted her up from the ground, pressing her back against the wall. She tried to breathe but couldn't. Her hands flew to his fingers, clawing, clawing. Strangled sounds spilled from her lips. She could smell Karin's blood still on his hands. Her knees weakened. Black spots began doing acrobats in front of her eyes…_

And a voice. A man.

"Give me the files, Mea…" he was whispering. "Give me the files. I'll let you live…" His voice began to weaken. It was disappearing.

Finally, sweet release. Alichina slumped over, feeling the girl's relief, splaying her fingers over her own throat as if _she_ had been the one who was being strangled. She gasped, pulling oxygen.

Again that girl… that man. They haunted her every night. Ever since the news about the Grave Digger, her 'gift' had turned into overdrive. At least she thought it was the Grave Digger. So many times she found herself in the minds of those being buried alive. The last girl, she had clawed at her grave. Unconsciously, Alichina had risen from bed, swaying to her door and scratching the same carvings into the wood that the woman in her vision had done. She clawed until the door was stained with blood, until she barely had any fingernails left. When Alichina had come to, two simple English letters stared back at her.

RK.

A vital clue.

How many times had she gone to the cops, only to be turned down, telling her that she was crazy?

Almost every night, their dying pleas surrounded her, drowned her, pulling her in. Ominous shadows cut at her vision. The scent of blood was starting to become frequent.

She had to break away from these horrible visions. Escape the sounds of their last dying breaths. Run to a place where the visions would not follow...

Alichina had thought of over a hundred ways to kill herself. Pills could so easily go wrong. They could find you and have your stomach pumped in psychiatric ward. There was still a chance of survival. Minimal but… plausible.

Slitting her wrists seemed too messy, too painful. Carbon monoxide poisoning might have worked but her parents always took their car and she didn't exactly want to die in one of the family's limousines. A gunshot to the head would probably be fine. It would quick, maybe even painless. But Alichina never liked guns.

Hanging sounded too medieval. Depending on how fast the drop and the weight of the body, the force could fracture her neck somewhere in the cervical vertebrae. It had not sounded like an appealing way for Alichina to leave. And she wouldn't have known where to get a noose in the first place.

She had almost given up hope when she heard the story of a little boy on the news. He had drowned in his own family's pool when his parents had gone out. Of course, this had been an accident. Alichina had looked into the subject of drowning all of last night and this morning.

Death would be caused by liquid in the lungs, preventing the absorption of oxygen. The liquid going through the mouth and nose, ends up in the stomach. One would more than likely panic from the absence of air and end up breathing in more water. If the lack of oxygen to the brain continued, then one would eventually find themselves unconscious. The brain couldn't survive very long without air and if the lack of oxygen continued in the blood, it would result in cardiac arrest which leads to the deterioration of brain cells. This first caused brain damage and followed by brain death. Recovery was impossible.

It usually took two to three minutes to loose consciousness.

It took five to ten to die.

It would be slow. But Alichina decided that it would be the best way. After a few minutes she would black out. Death would follow afterwards. She wouldn't be conscious when it came… so then maybe it would be painless. Maybe it would be like the time she had gone under general anesthesia to get her tonsils pulled.

She fell asleep and then woke up. It had gone by in a blink.

Alichina knew that there was a pool on the schools roof. Silently, she wondered how long it would take for someone to find her. Let alone _who_ would find her. She didn't care. All she knew was that death was a place where the visions could not pursue. Alichina pushed herself off from the wall and began running again.

And then she heard it. A voice. It was soft at first and so Alichina had disregarded it. She continued forward, pumping her legs as fast as they would go. No one in this school would call out to her. It would be ridiculous to even hope for someone to glance her way. She turned a sharp corner and opened a small doorway that led up to the school's pool. Here she climbed a staircase and made it to the very top.

Alichina was starting to feel nervous. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed by a giant rubber band. What if it didn't go according to plan? What if it hurt to die?

She sucked in a much needed breath. No. She had to do this. This was the only way.

No one in this life could possibly fathom what Alichina went through. Not even her family.

She placed down her bag, staring down at her reflection. A girl standing at 5'6", with long lilac hair that came down to her waist and piercing amber eyes stared back at her. She wore the same uniform as the other females in the school, except she had dyed it black, refusing to brandish such a happy color when the world was anything but. Alichina had forgotten how pale she had looked.

Alichina closed her eyes, trying to find her self control. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer. She involuntarily winced as an image went skittering across her vision.

_He raised the knife high over his head. Insane, maniac laughter rang from the back of his throat, plunging the blade deeper and deeper into her skin. She tried to scream but she couldn't. Her voice was drowning in crimson liquid_.

Alichina screamed. Her eyes flew open and she took a step back from the pool, suddenly drenched with sweat. Despite this, she felt so cold.

Alichina had witnessed that vision before. It recurred from time to time. The girl's petrified face was clear in her mind and was actually able to see her before the vision took place. A swoop of excitement rushed through her. Finally – she could help someone! Alichina even knew her name. They went to school together; her name was McKenna.

But McKenna did not listen. She turned her away.

Told her that she was crazy.

The next day the headlines of a woman, stabbed and body found abandoned in a forest showed up in print the following week. Even though McKenna had turned Alichina away on her own accord, refused to listen on her own behalf, Alichina still blamed herself. That she should have tried harder to reach out to her – force her to listen. To Alichina, the girl's death was her fault. She had seen it playing in her mind before it happened. There should have been something she could have been able to do to prevent McKenna's death.

But it happened anyway.

_People die everyday and the world moves on_. _Just like that. Like nothing ever happened. The heavens never fail to give us our stars and our blue skies. The earth keeps growing and growing, children and animals are born each second…_

_The world doesn't care that I'm watching, standing by and unable to help the dying souls around me._

_It wouldn't care if I died too_.

"I-I'm sorry McKenna," she whispered, her face twisted in anguish. "I… I'm going to follow you… That way… I won't have to suffer any longer."

_That way… I'll finally be free._

"Ah! Hello Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan!"

Alichina screamed, surprised. She whirled around, her golden eyes expanding. A strange girl was standing behind her, panting and out of breath. Who _was_ this? Had she been following her? For how long?

She looked so bizarre. She had such a big goofy smile plastered onto her face, even though she was clearly exhausted from running. The girl's hair was so long, even longer than her own, coming down just a little bit above her lower back and the color of starlight. But her eyes are what popped out to Alichina first. They were such an unusual shade of blue, like dusk in the country or even the ocean. Alichina stared. She must have been new. Alichina had only been at Ouran Academy for a month, but she would have _definitely_ noticed such a happy ball of sunshine.

The stranger was dressed in that revolting canary yellow dress, the kind that the dress code required. The color only seemed to make her hair glow even lighter than what it already was.

She was familiar. That face. She had seen it before. Oh, where or where had she seen it before?

"Hello there," the girl said real merrily. "You run really fast. My name is Safira-chan! I heard you talking to yourself. Who is McKenna? Is it your pet fish? Is it stuck in the pool? Do you need help getting it out? I can go get a little fishy bowel or something. I have a stuffed octopus, his name is Mr. Bubbles. Hey! Maybe they can be friends!"

Alichina watched, dumbfounded as this girl – or Safira as she now understood it – dug into her bag, pulling out a bright pink octopus with the biggest black eyes she had ever seen. Alichina raised an eyebrow. Why was she showing her this thing?

And more importantly…

Why was she _here_?

"Where is your fishy Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan?" Safira swerved her head from around Alichina's body, looking around eagerly for some kind of fish. "I don't see it. Is it deep underwater? What kind of fishy is it?"

Alichina was completely expressionless. Her arms dangled to her sides and her mouth was drawn into a flat line, un-amused.

"No. I do not have a pet fish. Not here anyway."

She had one at home but it wasn't something to get into a discussion about. How had she come up with the idea that she had a pet fish anyway? And why would someone bring one to school?

"Oh. Then how come you went up to the pool? Were you going to go for a swim?" The girl inquired, holding an innocent expression over her soft features. "It's a little early to be doing that. Don't you have class?"

_Oh, I was just about to drown myself. You're welcome to stay and watch if you'd like. Otherwise, just leave me alone to my joyful ploy of suicide._

"What I had planned on doing up here is of little importance," Alichina replied, her voice low and robotic. "What I would like to know is… why did you follow me?"

Safira looked surprised by the question but then instantly recovered, wearing that same obnoxious smile.

"Ah! Well that's because I was looking for _you_ Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan!" She exclaimed bubbly. "I just got here today. My schedule is kinda goofy because I'm only here for half of the day because I have a job. And since I couldn't find any of my friends I was lost to my first class. So I asked this group of girls to tell me where English was but they didn't know because they were class 1-D not class 2-A, which is me. But they said that you were in class 2-A so you might know and told me to just So now I am here. Is your hair naturally purple, Mysterious-Purple-Haired-chan?"

Alichina felt her eyebrow give an unpleasant twitch.

Couldn't she have just said that she had lost her way to a classroom? Was all that detail, really necessary? She wasn't even sure that she even understood half of what she said. And what was up with that nickname?

"No. It's not." Alichina replied blandly, her eyes cold and unmoving. Alichina dyed it this color because she liked to stick out. She hated normalcy. "And please, refrain from calling me that strange nickname. My name is Alichina."

Safira smiled brightly, her face lighting up like the sky. That smile. It was so familiar. But where? Where had she seen it?

"That's a really cute name! I like it! It's very pretty." Safira looked over her shoulder. "But we should go, yeah? I think we might have already missed the bell." She turned back around. "Are you in 2-A's English class? If you are, will you walk with me?"

Alichina felt entirely mystified by this girl's persona. Most people tended to avoid her, let alone follow her all the way up to the top of the school's roof. It had been the same way in her old school as well.

It was like an unwritten rule. Nobody talked to Alichina Hisakata.

This girl would learn… eventually.

"Yes," Alichina finally sighed. "I will show you the way."

She had strange readings from this girl. Readings that told her, that Safira was kind and gentle but there was also a dark shadow looming over her, clouding the most important things to her heart.

What could that mean?

~:*:~

Lily's eyes rolled in the back of her head. Uriah caught her as she fell, cradling her as if she were his own little sister, waiting for her to come to. She felt so fragile. As if the slightest movement could break her.

This happened often now. Lily's heart would skip a beat (or several) and then she would come back. When she finally began to stir, his face was the first thing she saw and he couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason she smiled.

"S-sorry," She breathed. Lily clutched onto Uriah's shoulder. Her nails pinched his skin but he didn't seem to mind. Using him as a crutch, she tried to sit up but got too tired along the way, gasping and leaning against him for support. Uriah tried not to notice her breath against his neck.

"Can you stand?" He asked after a while.

They had just returned from the hospital today. Hashimoto had signed Lily's name onto the waiting list for a heart. Uriah didn't know how long it would take but he knew that the younger kids were usually more at the top of the list than the bottom. So she had a good chance – right?

It was almost morbid to think about it.

They were waiting for somebody to die to save another's life.

He felt Lily shake her head, clinging. "I… I think I want to lie back down. I feel so tired."

Uriah didn't say anything as he gently hoisted her off of him, which was surprisingly easy, even for him. He was careful as he laid her across the couch, holding her head up until he snuck a pillow from underneath her. "Do you want a blanket or something?"

Lily laughed. "You're almost as bad as my brother. But no… I should be fine."

Uriah snickered. "So I guess our game is over then, huh?"

They had been playing some sort of two player fighting video game when Lily had collapsed. Uriah assumed that she was too fatigued to play now and he wasn't surprised when she nodded, but told him that he could play by himself and she would watch. It wasn't as fun to fight a computer though.

Not that there had been much of a challenge in the first place; Lily sucked at video games.

"Uriah and Lily, sitting in a tree, K – I – S – S- I – N – G! First comes love, then comes marriage then comes the –"

"Shut it, Shion!" Uriah shouted, grabbing an extra pillow that Lily wasn't using and chucking it as hard as he could towards the elder girl in the threshold. She let out a high pitched shriek, the object just narrowly missing her face.

"Hey! You can't do that to someone who wears glasses!" Shion yelled. "This is the last pair that I've got!"

Shion was fourteen years old but she was another good friend of Lily's, despite their age difference. She was slender with round prescription glasses that were too big for her face. Her hair was black with two thick streaks of green by her face, a hair dying experiment that had clearly gone wrong. Today it was braided into two loose pigtails, her eyes still wide and a looked to be pastel blue in some light, but a faded shade of green in other. Underneath her arm was her laptop, her most prized possession.

"Don't say stupid things and I won't throw things at you then," Uriah grumbled, ears slightly pink as he crossed over to the TV, resetting the settings so that he could play by himself.

The girl adjusted her glasses by the temple frame, shooting Uriah an irritated glare. "Oh, stop being such a baby. Anyways I came here to talk to Lily. I finally found that information she was looking for."

~:*:~

Lily's head perked up, her green eyes suddenly brighter. "R-really? So you found him?" She asked, her tone budding with excitement.

"Well don't get too excited. I'm not _sure_," Shion replied. She sat down on the couch in front of Lily (it's not like she was very big, so there was plenty of room for Shion), and sat her computer on her lap, opening it with absolute ease. "You said that you're mother went to Italy on a field trip her senior year. I had to do a lot of digging but I eventually found that you're mother's class spent a lot of time in Venice while they were there. And you said that she was partially deaf, right?"

Lily gave a slight nod, scooting up a little bit on her arms to get a better look at the screen.

"Well there are only a few people who know sign language in Venice," Shion continued. "But it still didn't leave me with many options. So I called your mom's old school. Do you see this woman here?" Shion pointed to a young looking girl on the school's webpage. "Her name was Chiyo Niigata. She married and her last name is Okada now. Anyway, she was one of your mother's friends. One of the teacher's who had been there since forever, remembered that your mom and Chiyo were very close. The teacher had Chiyo's phone number listed in her files and gave it to me. I just got off the phone with Chiyo a few minutes ago."

Lily's eyes widened, impossibly animated now. "_And_?" She pressed, almost unable to contain herself. "Did she know him?"

"Yup," Shion said with a smug grin. "The guy's name was Samuel De Luca. Chiyo said that your mom and him met while she was on their trip. So he could definitely be Shugo's real father."

Lily was so happy that she threw her arms around Shion, practically squealing of joy. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Shion merely smiled. "Sure. But the thing is that he still lives in Venice so I don't know how you're going to get a hold of him. I couldn't find his phone number but I did get an address, but it's pretty useless since we're not in Italy. He doesn't have an email either. I'm guessing he's one of those grown ups that are completely useless with technology."

Just then there was a loud and powerful roar, causing all three children to jump. Shion's eyes grew wide and quickly jumped off the couch, pushing the laptop underneath it and quickly scrambled down to the floor, taking a seat next to Uriah. She nervously picked up one of the game controller's, pretending to play.

Hashimoto threw the door wide open with the strength of a bulldozer. Her eyes were so wide that the whites could be seen clearly from around them, her chest heaving and hair disheveled. Between her boney ivory fingers was a piece of paper with writing on it. Lily didn't have to even read it to know what it was.

It was her hospital bills.

"You two. Out." The woman growled.

Shion and Uriah both flinched from underneath the woman's icy tone. Without hesitating they both rushed to a stand and ran out the door, sending Lily terrified looks as they made their way out. Lily felt her heart sink. Oh, how she wished Hashimoto didn't ask for them to leave…

"Four million seven hundred and twelve thousand, four hundred twenty one yen!" Hashimoto hissed through clenched teeth. Lily tried to get up but Hashimoto had already crossed over to the other side of the room, grasping her arm tight enough to make her knuckles turn white. Lily tried to squirm away but the woman's hands were as hard as iron chains, shaking her like a rag doll. "Do you understand how much money I would have to throw away for you? Huh? _Do you_?!"

Lily squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to disappear. "I-it's not my fault! I couldn't help it that I got sick!"

"Shut up!" Hashimoto's voice cracked like thunder. "This is all you're fault! You worthless, pathetic, terrible, terrible child! Do you think that just because you're sick you can use that as an excuse to take away all my money? You think that I'm going to just waste all that money to get you a new heart? Well guess what. You're not worth shit!"

Tears began to prick at the back of Lily's eyes. Her heart thundered unpleasantly and the young girls face began to pale, hoping that it wouldn't miss a beat. Fear flooded her chest and stomach.

"But I need it!" Lily cried. "If I don't get a new heart then I'll die!"

"Yeah? Well the thirty six thousand yen I get paid a month to keep you here isn't worth shit if I have to pay a thousand more just to keep you alive! You're better off dead!"

Lily shook her head, tears now rolling down her face. "P-please! I don't want to die!"

"You're out of luck," Hashimoto roared. "I'm not letting you swoop down and take all my money with your petty little heart problem!" The woman's boney fingers dug into Lily's arms. She pulled her close, so close that Lily could smell the liquor and cigarettes on her breath, eyes wide, the very core of her madness. Lily cringed. "Do you know why you need a new heart? Huh? Do you? It's because you're heart is black, Lily! It's poison! You're heart is the coldest, blackest, sickest thing to have ever beaten inside a human chest. You don't deserve a new heart. You deserve to die with that monster beating inside you!"

"My heart is not bad!" Lily screamed. "It's not a monster! It's not!"

A second later warm blood rushed down Lily's face, gushing from her nose. The older woman's fist was so fast that Lily had not seen it coming. After six more blows to the face, Lily realized that she should have never said anything but continued to scream and cry after each strike. By the time it was over, Lily had curled herself into a tight ball on the couch, sobbing.

"Those crocodile tears aren't going to work on me," Hashimoto snarled, brushing herself off as if her dress had been dusty. Her black eyes scanned Lily's body. "I'm taking you off the transplant list. Hopefully you won't die too soon; I'd still like my monthly yen." The door shut behind her and she was gone.

~:*:~

"Lily?" Uriah eased open the door, whispering. The sight before him made his heart wrench. Lily's knees were tucked tightly into her chest, head bowed and tears streaming down her face.

A protective instinct flooded through him. Without thought or understanding, Uriah crossed the room and over to Lily, sitting down on the couch beside her and pulling her into him. Her eyes were squeezed closed but her tears still rolled down her cheeks, shoulders heaving with each breath. Uriah wondered how anyone could cry with eyes shut to tightly.

Shion didn't say anything to make fun of him like before. She didn't sing any stupid kid songs or throw in a sarcastic remark about him being in love with Lily. Instead she sat down on the sofa's arm, unsure if she should try to comfort Lily too or else just leave her to Uriah. But nonetheless she was there for her.

"What happened?" Uriah inquired. He could feel her body trembling and her cheeks were wet, dampening his shirt. He ignored it. "What's wrong?"

Lily struggled to find words. "S-she… she took me off the list. I – I can't get a new heart."

Anger and terror speared through Uriah's chest. He felt his very soul evaporate. "She can't do that!" Uriah cried. "If she does then you'll –"

"_I'm going to die!_" Lily howled. Her nails bit into his shoulders, clinging as tears continued to flow. "I… I don't want to die…"

"No. I won't let that happen. There's got to be a way. There's just got to be."

Lily was practically his best friend. She was always so nice, and so fun to be around. He didn't care if she was a girl. Lily was one of the nicest people he had met in a long time.

Uriah rested his chin atop of Lily's, looking over to Shion for help. The teenager had already shifted from the couch and was bent onto the floor, slowly pulling out her laptop from under the furniture in silence.

"Lily," Shion began. "I think it's about time that we found Mr. De Luca."

~:*:~

a/n: Hmm. I don't think anyone is going to remember the last name Okada. But it was in Chapter 14 with Haruhi and her dad, in the newspaper. I think that people might get confused so I'm just gonna clarify. :D

Okada was Karin's last name. So that means Okada is also Daichi's last name, since he was her father.

SO. Chiyo married and her last name changed to Okada. Get it?? Chiyo and Daichi are… *drum roll* MARRIED! O__o *shockshockschock* Karin was her daughter. :O

I'm evil. ^^

If no one remembers what was said about Shugo's father its in chapter 6 I believe.

4,712,421 is supposedly equal to 50,000 US dollars if I did my homework right.

Safira is actually four months older than Mea. But Mea is still taller and acts a bit more mature than her.

Pronunciation: _Al – ah – chii – nuh_. I figured most people would know but, hey you never know. :D And my friend actually found the name not me. ^^ She's my cute little physic zombie. Haha. :3


	20. My Precious

a/n: I am SO sorry for updating this so late. School has been so crazy. I'm in the newspaper and I had to do research and write up all these articles. Then the rest of my classes love to drown me in homework and quizzes each night. But tonight I was free! Woo! :D It's such a relief to write again. College has been so exhausting but it's still been going very well. =] I like the freedom that's been given to me.

This chapter is now Beta-ed. :] Thank you, my awesome Beta. You're little notes never cease to amuse me and keep me entertained haha. Here's a cyber cookie. ^.^

~:*:~

**Chapter 20: My Precious**

~:*:~

Kyouya was finally about to ask the teacher permission to use the bathroom and use it as an excuse to go find her, when she appeared in the doorway.

With Alichina Hisakata.

Kyouya couldn't help it. He stared.

He had read up all about this girl in a status report. Alichina had just transferred to the school about a month ago, due to the death of someone in her school named McKenna, though the report failed to mention if the two of them were close. Her parents had decided that Alichina needed a change from her old school and thus, enrolled her in Ouran Academy. Kyouya imagined that her old environment reminded her too much of this McKenna person. She lived with both her parents, three brothers and her grandfather. One of her brothers was already grown and out of the house while the other two still attended school. Alichina's father was famous for his workmanship and design for space shuttles that NASA often took under, and her mother owned an enormous college in Greece for astronomy, so she wasn't home very often. The girl's family was certainly well off.

But everyone shunned her.

Alichina's family was not only known for their success and wealth but also their ability to accomplish and see what others could not. It was rumored that the family passed down a linage of psychic abilities. Kyouya did not believe in such things himself; the very thought of it seemed ridiculous. But people who were easily sucked into such things, such as Tamaki, kept clear of Alichina, refusing to take any chances of being attacked by some sort of supernatural assault. Not only that but Kyouya got the impression that just the mere girl's Gothic demeanor and lack of personality, scared people away.

And so, seeing Safira's sweet pixie-like smile and clad in a bright yellow dress, standing beside a girl clothed in all black, with skin as pale as the moon, spiritless golden eyes and unusual violet hair, caused many of the classmates to turn their heads with questionable stares and whispers.

"Hisakata-san, I am sure that you have a reasonable explanation for being late." The teacher said without looking away from the blackboard, writing down a particularly long stanza. "This is your third tardy this week. You are going to have to come after school to –"

"I was showing Safira-san around the school," Alichina replied. Her voice was as smooth as silk but her face remained soulless. "I suspect that, that would be a reasonable explanation, Sensei."

"Hmm? Safira-san?" The teacher turned, eyes landing upon the newest addition to the class. His eyes suddenly sparked as though he had just remembered something important and a large smile appeared on his face, nodding furiously. "Oh, yes, yes! Good to have you Safira-san! Please, have a seat – and for the last time Hisakata! That hair color is not acceptable and that black dress is against school dress code!"

"Right," Alichina replied. She was already making her way towards the back of the room, appearing to be in a zombie-like state. "I'll keep that in mind."

Kyouya didn't know why the teacher was even bothering; he had been telling her the same thing for the whole month Alichina had been here.

"Hello Kyouya and Tamaki-kun!" Safira said with a large wave, making her way over to an empty seat. Kyouya ignored the strange thrill that ran through him as she pulled out a chair from the empty desk beside him.

"Ah, my darling Princess! How lovely it is to see you again!" Tamaki sang, reaching his hand diagonally across the space between them so that he could hold her hand, stroking her fingers with a princely smile. "Kyouya and I feared that you got lost on your way here, never to return as you wandered aimlessly through the halls of Ouran Academy like a lost puppy in the clutches of a dark forest! Ooh! The horrors that sped through Mommy and Daddy's minds were just so terrible! We are so glad to have you alive and safe, my dear Princess. Our worries have now come to an end."

Many of the girls in the classroom were staring at Safira in absolute horror and dismay; their precious Tamaki was holding her hand and calling her princess! It was as if they wanted to set her on fire with their minds, sending her very loathsome glares that Safira seemed unaware of, as did Tamaki.

Kyouya felt a strange twinge of anger jolt through his chest, eyes handing upon where Tamaki's hand was placed. He didn't understand why but seeing Tamaki's hand overlapping Safira's made him feel… unsettled.

Safira smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry to worry you both. I was a little lost at first but China-chan showed me to the magical room of English learning! Speaking of which…" Safira whirled around which caused her hand to slip out from underneath Tamaki's, waving her arm in the air like an enormous banner. "CHINA-CHAN! THERE'S A SEAT OVER HERE IF YOU WANNA SIT NEXT TO UUSS!"

"Safira you don't have to yell." Kyouya informed her, tearing his eyes away and scribbling down something inside his notebook. "It's not like you two are an ocean apart."

_Ah, but your hand doesn't have to be so far from her__s__, _whispered the dragon._ Just reach out. Soon you'll feel the sweet satisfaction of your thumbs playfully caressing each other and your fingers interlocked in pure ecstasy. Ahh. Such bliss._

_Oh, shut up_. Kyouya growled inside his head, mentally slapping the dragon. _As if I would such joy out of _holding hands_, for Pete's sake_. Still the thought was strangely tempting.

Alichina, who normally took the seat farthest from everybody else in the way back of the room, glanced up at the sound of Safira's screaming. Her face didn't change from its android expression but her eyes did seem to shine with a hint of confusion, her lips just barely forming into a puzzled frown.

She shook her head. "I'm fine over here, thanks."

"Aw, but why? You're all by yourself. Oh, here! Look there's a seat right here!" Safira said, beaming as she continuously slapped the top of the desk behind her. "All free and open, just for China-chan!"

_Leave it to Safira to befriend a zombie,_ Kyouya thought absently.

"Safira-san. I know that you are new here and everything but it is a rule here among Ouran that we do not scream across the room, let alone _speak_, when the teacher is talking! That goes for you too Tamaki." The teacher said loudly. "Now. As I was saying…"

Safira blushed crimson while Tamaki gave a strange little salute to the teacher, swiftly diving back to his schoolwork. But Kyouya's eyes were not upon either of them. No, his silver gaze was upon several onlookers who had turned their attention to Safira.

His gaze intensified when he realized that half of them were male. They weren't looking at Safira with hate like Tamaki's ridiculous fan girls. No, they were staring at her with love-struck eyes and stupid smiles, their lips lifted into lopsided grins.

"Hey, check out the new girl." One whispered, nudging his friend. "She's pretty cute, yeah?"

"Yeah, but she walked in with that Alichina girl. That's kinda strange."

"Psh. Who cares? Just look at that face! That smile…"

"Yeah, but I bet she can do a lot more with that mouth than just _smile_," another said with a wicked grin. "I'd like to take her out sometime."

The boys all gave a slight flinch as Kyouya sat up a little bit straighter in his chair, lifting a hand to his spectacles, shifting them upwards. The sunlight pouring in from the room caused his glasses to reflect an ominous shine, glinting a brilliant white, a threatening indication. A dark shadow fell over Kyouya's features, his smile so sinister that it sent an unpleasant chill down each of the boy's spines. The dark violet aura of the Shadow King steadily begun to emerge…

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," he said inexplicably. "I am sure that you have heard the rumors, being that you are each from high class families. Just making mere enemies with someone from the Ootori family, our Private Police Force, the secret service of the Japanese financial and political world, will take action. And considering that Safira-san is practically being raised by the Host Club's hands… well… you wouldn't want senior's Haninozuka and Morinozuka to be on your bad side, would you? It is said that Honey-senpai could be a weapon of mass destruction and Mori-senpai is in fact, a national kendo champion. Ah, and let us not forget that Tamaki's father is chairman and can easily have you thrown out of Ouran in a blink of an eye. And the Hitachiin twins are an even more devious pair if you were to make them your foe. If you wish to remain friends with the Host Club I advice that you refrain from such comments about Safira-san. Do we understand each other?"

The men stared, expressions completely pinched with terror. They tried to speak but only faint gurgles were emitted, bodies as stiff as stone. Eventually they turned away but they were as slow as molasses as they moved eyes wide.

"Curse that Ootori guy," one of them muttered, holding his head in absolute dismay. "Why does he have to be so intimidating? All that stuff he said…"

"Well whatever. He's not going to scare me away with that high-class-fancy intimidation. It's not like he's got any supernatural powers or anything to push me away."

"Oh, Alichina-san?" Kyouya called pleasantly, giving her a slight wave from across the room. "Why don't you come join us? I think Safira would very much enjoy your company."

The boys each gave a little jolt, shooting terrified glances towards Alichina.

Safira's face broke into a large grin, completely obvious to the real situation at hand. "Ah! Kyouya-kun wants China-chan to come sit by us too?" She said excitedly.

"Oh, but of course," Kyouya purred wearing his best Host Club smile. "It is our job as hosts. A young woman should never sit by herself in the back of class."

"That is exactly what I was thinking, Kyouya!" Tamaki said, turning around enthusiastically and holding up one index finger in indication of such an idea, even though he had never had any idea of the sort. "Alichina! Come here and sit beside us! You will be forever blessed with the presence of the Host King and the King's Vice President! Come and friendship will bloom between you and my beautiful niece!"

Alichina's stare was arctic. "No."

"Aww? Why? Please? Please?" Safira begged. Tamaki had turned himself back around, pouting and drawing small circles on his desk in absolute despair from such a cold rejection.

"I'm fine over here."

"I'll give you a cookie! I have some in my bag."

"I don't like cookies."

"Everyone likes cookies!"

"Well… I don't."

"Lies!"

"You kids! Knock it off! I'm trying to teach a class!" The teacher roared. "All of you are just begging for detention!"

Everyone fell silent. The teacher smiled with satisfaction and turned back to the board, now adding another stanza. When his back was turned, Safira continued to turn around towards Alichina and sending her hopeful little glances with these large puppy eyes made out of sapphire. The zombie stared, steadily becoming annoyed. After the tenth depressed little face Alichina finally gave in, growling under her breath as she shot to a stand and slung her bag of her shoulder, marching over towards the vacant desk. When she sat down behind Safira, Safira released a happy squeal and threw her arms around the girl as if she was a long lost friend.

"Yay! China-chan is with us!"

"Ah, yes! Yes, she is!" Tamaki said, glittering with absolute joy. "We are so happy to see that you have joined us, Gothic Princess." He gave a little bow in his seat, the shimmers increasing from around his frame. Alichina backed from him in her seat, looking more concerned with getting glitter all over her rather than his princely motives.

The perverts turned around to face the front, body's stiff and eyes cautiously flickering between Alichina and the teacher; they would be fools to mess around with a psychic. Kyouya on the other hand, was smiling with a feeling of pure fulfillment.

"WOULD YOU KIDS BE QUIET? CAN'T A TEACHER HAVE A LECTURE IN PEACE?! Hisakata when did you move? And Ootori-san, I expected more of you! Don't talk while class is in session – Knock it off Tamaki, I don't want to see those princely sparkles in my classroom. Save it for after class. And Safira, stop hugging Hisakata!"

~:*:~

It was daytime. Still too early to do anything.

He slowed his breathing, staring at Mea's mother through the window as she fussed over her youngest – no – her last daughter. The child was probably only about nine years old, her eyes large as she stared up at her mother. The child was sitting on the edge of her bed and clothed in bright pink Hello Kitty pajamas. Her mother brushed the little girl's chestnut hair from out of her face before resting her palm over her forehead.

The child had a fever. Perfect. Now all he had to do was wait for night to fall. She would be his again soon.

He closed his eyes, visualizing her once more.

She had run away because she had been confused. Love often scared people. It was new to her, he knew that. He must be patient. Once they were together again, they could accomplish anything.

He felt a cold smile stretch across his mouth as Mea's father came into the scene. Such a foolish, stupid man. Doctor's always thought that they were better than everybody else. Thought that they were brilliant at everything they did.

He would show him. He would show everyone.

If Dr. Taylor wanted to see his daughters again, he would have to cooperate.

Of course… the doctor had no idea that Mea belonged to him at the moment. Not really anyway. Even if he _did_ know that he was keeping Mea as a hostage, he would have no idea of how to find him. He was secluded. Smart. Most people got caught. But not him. No. There was no flaw in his strategy. In his order.

Order was everything.

~:*:~

"Oh! It's so pretty in here! It's like a magical forest!" Safira exclaimed joyfully from within the open doorway, clutching her book bag to her chest. Her blue eyes were wide in amazement, mouth slightly agape as she took in the wonderful scenery from all around her.

Room 3 was decorated in the spirit of _Tolkien's _The Shire. It appeared as though they had walked into a mini Ireland rather than an abandoned music room. Trees were growing from the ground, the leafy branches gently brushing against the ceiling and windows. The expensive marble flooring was covered in tones of green and dirt, feeling springy when walked upon.

"Isn't this fabulous, China-chan?" Safira squealed, turning to face her new despondent friend. "I've never been in The Shire before! Have you?"

Alichina stared straight ahead, looking as though she would much rather be impaled by a thousand spears instead of standing within Music Room 3. "No," she said darkly.

"Great!" Safira replied with a soft giggle, obviously oblivious to Alichina's silent rage. "Then this is a first experience for the two of us!"

It was then did Tamaki appear between Safira and Alichina costumed as Legolas. He was clad in green and brown, with a bow and quiver tied to his back. Fake pointed ears poked out from underneath his shimmering blonde hair, longer than usual due to extensions. With a beautiful sideways smirk, The Host Club King slowly cascaded his fingers down Alichina's vibrant colored hair, his face glowing with the love of a prince.

"Shaelysti… shaerorer volaer," he whispered to her in soft Elven tongue. "May you always feel welcomed here, my lady, in the presence of a face that is beyond the measure of men."

Alichina turned to him, her vacant gaze far more threatening than any glare could ever achieve. Tamaki squeaked and backed away from the intimidating gothic demeanor that lied within her golden eyes, almost tripping over Safira in the process. Just then both Kaoru and Hikaru appeared on either side of the girls and Tamaki, crossing their arms and holding lopsided grins.

"One Ring to rule them all…" Hikaru began in a low voice.

"…One Ring to find them…" Kaoru interjected. "One Ring to bring them all."

"And in the darkness bind them!"

Hikaru was supposed to be Pippin and Kaoru, Merry. They were both dressed as the Hobbits with identical clothing, pants, vests, cloaks and bare feet though had gone against making them extremely fuzzy. They were in fact, the tallest and most attractive Hobbits that had ever stepped foot into The Shire.

"Weee! LOTR! LOTR!" Honey chanted from across the room, waving his arms in the air in absolute glee. He was dressed as Sam Gamgee with his brown shirt and vest, cloak draped smartly around his shoulders with his backpack filled to the brim with pots and pans that clanged as he hopped around. "Harrrruuuhiii!! We're best friends so we's gotta stick together okay? Let's make some po-tat-oes! But… well… actually. I don't really like po-tat-oes too much. Let's eat some cake instead, okay?"

"I'm not really in the mood for cake," Haruhi replied in a low monotone voice, sitting down at a small table and hosting a couple of girls. Haruhi was dressed as Frodo Baggins, garmented in a brown coat with an attached vest, shirt and pants. Around her neck was a forest green cloak and leaf broach with 'the Ring' secure on a chain around her neck. "And to be quite honest, I'm not in the mood for this whole Lord of the Rings business either."

"Aw! But Haru-chan! LOTR is such fun!" Safira said shouted from across the room, causing many heads to turn in her direction. "And Frodo fits you so well!"

Haruhi winced, unsure if she should take it as a compliment or an insult. "Well…uh… thanks. I guess."

"Hey, Alichina you would make a great Sauron. That evil glint in your eye is perfect!" Hikaru said, giving her a thumbs-up. "So how about it? You can go dress up in the back. Our Shadow King refused to wear the costume."

"As do I," Alichina replied, expressionless. "I refuse to take part in these Host Club shenanigans of yours."

"Hmm…" Hikaru mused, appearing as though he had never heard Alichina's rude comment. "Ah, you know something Kaoru? Alichina's name reminds me of something."

Kaoru cupped his chin, staring at his brother with a mischievous glint in his golden eyes. "Aah. I believe that I had the same thought, brother. Alichina's name sounds a little bit like…"

"Mochaccino. Aaaah! Wait," they pointed to each other in unison, the idea dawning upon them at the exact same time. "_Mochaccina_! Hey! Mochaccina-cchi!"

Alichina turned, impassive. "My name is Alichina."

"What was that Accina-cchi?"

"It's not Mochaccina. Or Accina. _Alichina_."

"But it's cuter that way."

"No. I am not named after coffee."

"I like coffee! Coffee is good!" Honey piped. "But hot chocolate is a lot sweeter! I have to add lots and lots of sugar to my coffee! Do you like coffee, Mocha-chan?"

"My name is not Mocha-chan."

"Choca-chan?" Hikaru inquired innocently.

"No."

"Mocha-choca-chan?" Kaoru asked.

"Stop it."

"Now, now you two. Stop pestering our guest. Alichina-san is within our doors after all and as that remains so, she is to be treated with utmost respect." Kyouya informed the chaotic duo, sitting at a lone table and typing away at his laptop, his glasses reflecting the white glare from the computer screen.

Kyouya was dressed as Aragorn, clothed in a dark tunic with knee-high riding boots and the same cloak as the Hobbit cosplayers along with the identical Elven broach, and his sword sheathed nicely at his side. A very tall Gandalf version of Mori stood beside him, clothed in gray robes and an enormous wizard's hat that matched his outfit. In his hand was a gnarled staff and a long white beard that came down a little bit above his stomach, his silver eyes almost looking tormented. It was unclear if Mori was embarrassed or if the beard was merely itchy. Either way, it could have something to do with all the girls that created a circle around him, cooing about how sweet he looked as an old man.

However Safira's eyes remained on Kyouya. The medieval clothing was very becoming of him, and Safira couldn't help but notice the tiny muscles in his arms as his fingers flew across the keyboard or the way his tunic clung so nicely to his chest. For some reason a bit of heat was beginning to creep into her cheeks and the sound of Abella chirping loudly from within her bag, caused her to jump and forced her attention away from Kyouya.

"I'm so sorry Adorabelle! Food is coming!" Safira cried out, digging within her bag in search for the miniature bird. When she successfully pulled the hummer out and began to feed it, Alichina was staring at her with a curious expression.

"You brought a hummingbird to school?" She asked, dumbfounded.

However Safira never had the chance to answer because Tamaki cut in between them, his bow raised and eyes moving around the room in a swift and watchful manner. It was almost comical how his body was positioned; half crouched like that of a lion.

"Something draws near. I can feel it." Tamaki said in a hushed but hurried whisper. "We must move on. We cannot linger."

The twins both raised questioning eyebrows while Safira hummed a cheerful Disney song to Abella as she fed her with Alichina standing in the background, contemplating if she should throw herself out the window or somehow knock everybody out and make a break for it.

"Uh. Boss? What are you talking about?"

"Shh!" Tamaki hissed frantically. "A shadow and a threat have been growing in my mind! Something draws near, I can _feel_ it."

"Oh, really? And what would that be?" Hikaru asked, un-amused. "If it's your brain, trust me, it's not near."

"The stars are veiled. Something stirs in the East," Tamaki continued, either ignoring Hikaru's remark or in too much enjoyment in his role as Legolas to realize what he has said. "A sleepless malice. The eye of the enemy is moving. He is HERE!"

"What the heck are you tal-"

Suddenly a dark figure exploded through the music room doors, his black cape billowing in the nonexistent-wind, his crystal blue eyes large with an excited frenzy as he launched himself over the heads of the twins and Tamaki, soaring his way over towards Alichina with outstretched arms. Two unmistakable words rendered through the air:

"MY PRREECCCIIOOUUUSS!"

As though this had been expected, Alichina skillfully took one large step over to the right thus causing Nekozawa's arms to wrap around nothing but mist, screaming as he fell face first into the earthy ground.

"I knew it!" Tamaki roared, taking his aim at Nekozawa's back. "It is among us! Everyone come! You must make haste – Mommy, lend me your sword!"

"I think that _Daddy_ can handle this all on his own," Kyouya replied, his eyes slowly moving away from Safira as if he had been nervous that Nekozawa's actions may have frightened her. Nevertheless, she was lost in her own world of Disney songs and motherly affections. "You are an elf after all."

"Well. Great. I think I will be leaving now," Alichina said, sending Nekozawa a strange glance before raising her eyes up to Safira, giving her a slight wave. "Goodbye."

"See-ya, later Mochacinna-cchi!" The twins chorused, giving her a large wave.

"My name has absolutely no reference to coffee." The zombie stated in annoyance.

"ACCHINA-CCHI!"

"Ugh," Alichina grumbled, rolling her eyes and making her way towards the doors. At this Nekozawa scrambled to a crawl, rushing over to her on all fours. When he reached her he grabbed her hand as if desperate, staring up at her with an odd expression.

"P-Precious?" His voice quivered.

Alichina stared, deadpan. "No."

"AAAH! WHERE IS IT?! WHERE IS THE PRECIOUS?! We wants it! We needs it! We must have the precious!"

Haruhi scratched the back of her neck, casting her eyes nervously upon the ground to avoid Nekozawa's gaze, all the while cautiously stuffing the ring inside her shirt. "I didn't realize Nekozawa was such a huge fan of Golbum." Haruhi whispered to herself.

"HARUHI! IT'S _GOLLUM!_" Tamaki roared from across the room. Safira looked up at him, amazed that he could hear Haruhi's mistake from so far away. "Get it right!"

"The Hobbit has your precious. Now leave me in peace." Alichina growled, snatching her hand back. "Go get your dumb ring."

"Ring? _Ring?_" Nekozawa repeated in a low whisper, sounding almost deranged. He came to a stand which made himself several feet taller than Alichina, his eyes now veiled by his black hood. "I am not searching for a _ring_. I am on a quest for my precious doll… _Belzenef_. Someone has taken him from me! No doubt they are to use to him to summon my _dark_ powers."

All eyes in the room fell upon Nekozawa, their faces slightly pinched except for Safira who was lovingly feeding her bird and swaying to her little song and Mori, who was tugging at his beard.

"Q-quick! Someone! Find the precious!" Tamaki raved, running about the room like mad. "If we don't find him WE'LL BE CURSED!"

The twins, Honey and all the fan girls screeched in alarm. Everyone began to run around the room in a panic, searching from behind trees and underneath rocks for Nekozawa's missing doll. Meanwhile Alichina was standing a few inches away from freedom, her body frozen at the sight of millions of berserk girls in yellow dresses and frightened Lord of the Rings characters.

Appearing completely at ease, Safira finally finished feeding Abella. The riot around her went unnoticed as she merrily skipped over to Kyouya, blissfully weaving her way in and out of the crowd. When she finally reached him by his laptop, she pulled up a chair and sat next to him.

"Whatcha doing?" She asked happily.

Kyouya glanced at her briefly before turning his eyes away. "I'm adding the last finishing touches to the Host Club's official site. I'm putting up the pictures from last week's Disney villains' cosplay. The girls seemed to have enjoyed it."

Safira smiled and scooted a little bit closer, all the while attempting to hold onto the baby hummer in her hands. "You're always so busy." She commented.

Kyouya said nothing, only continuing to type. As he moved his hand a little bit across the keyboard, his elbow just barely brushed her arm. At once warmth radiated from his touch and soared all the way up into the center of her heart, which was now thundering. Safira's cheeks burned and she huddled her arms a little bit closer to her body. Kyouya noticed the sudden movement and glanced at her from the corner of his eye, wondering what he could have done to make her shift from him when the twins suddenly appeared from behind them.

Hikaru rested his hand on the back of Safira's chair and Kaoru lay his on the back of Kyouya's, both twins leaning towards each other and holding smug expressions.

"Well, look at this, Hikaru. It seems that Kyouya-senpai has no need for a trusty bird sidekick, seeing as Safira has provided a live one for him." Kaoru said, pointing at Abella who was curled into a small ball within Safira's hands. "However… I've never seen Aragorn as a hummingbird lover. Did you Hikaru?"

"Of course not, Kaoru. But he is a lover of one thing." Hikaru said, exchanging a mischievous grin with his mirror.

Safira blinked, innocently. "Oh? And what's that?"

The twin's grins only broadened. "Why don't you know?"

"Um…" Safira shifted a little in her chair, glancing at the two of them. Was this something that she _should_ know? It had been a while since she had last seen the movie. "Uh…"

"A woman," Hikaru stated bluntly.

"An _Elven_ woman…" Karou corrected.

Kyouya rolled his eyes, shifting up his glasses. "Personally, I've never been very fond of _elves_." He grumbled, eyeing the two of them darkly.

Safira stared, still not understanding what they were getting at. Then her eyes lit up and she smiled as something clicked within her mind. "Oh! I get it! Since Tamaki is Kyouya's best friend and he's playing an elf, you're going to dress Tamaki up as Aragorn's love, right?"

The three of them fell silent. The twins looked down at Safira, taken aback by such an oblivious statement while Kyouya was in too much shock to even allow his fingers to give a slight twitch, horrified at the thought of Tamaki as an Elven woman, let alone his love. The twins then exploded into abrupt laughter, clutching their sides and practically crying.

"Oh! Oh! That's rich!" Kaoru crowed, latching onto his brother so that he wouldn't fall over.

"Tamaki… and Kyouya… ahahaha!"

"Hey, Kyouya? Do you remember when you first met Tamaki?" The twins pressed. "Was it as Aragon said?"

"_I thought I had strayed into a dream_." Kaoru recited in Aragorn's deeper voice, his eyes far off as though lost in a distant memory.

"Ahahaha!"

Safira tilted her head, confused. "Huh? I don't get…"

"Hello? Yes. This is Kyouya Ootori." Safira flinched and turned, surprised to see that Kyouya had whipped out his cell phone. His voice was cool but even, silver eyes locked straight ahead onto the wall. "Please send our Private Police Force to the Hitachiin manor immediately and the dogs to Music Room 3 at Ouran Academy. Yes… yes. Excellent. Thank you."

"Oh, you have dogs? What kind of dogs are they?" Safira said with a cheerful smile, eyes bright and glowing with excitement. She had no idea that Kyouya had pet dogs! Had he been hiding them in his closet or something? But no… she already checked in there. All she really saw were his unused video games and some clothes. Maybe they were really tiny dogs. "Do you have a Chihuahua?"

Kyouya sighed, running his hand through his dark hair. All the while the twins stood behind him, completely rigid and color drained from their cheeks. It looked as though they had just been sentenced to the gallows.

"I love dogs," Safira added, blissfully unknowing to the twins fear or the meaning of Kyouya's true intentions. "Do we get to play with them when they arrive?"

"Oh… no. I don't think so, Safira-san," Kyouya informed her to her much disappointment. However he was holding a slight smile and a look in his eye that suggested something devious. "The dogs are quite fond of the twins, you see. I doubt that they would want to play with anyone _but_ them."

"Cold hearted snake," the twins cursed.

"Where is it?" Nekozawa raved. "Where? WHERE IS THE PRECIOUS?!"

"WOULD SOMEONE FIND THIS DAMN DOLL ALREADY?!" Haruhi screamed, finally fed up with the situation at hand. "HONESTLY, I CAN'T EVEN HEAR MYSELF THINK ANYMORE!"

~:*:~

Her knees were tucked into her chest, chin rested atop, and her eyes were staring straight ahead. They were empty. Soulless. Completely and utterly blank, showing no indication that a human life was behind such eyes.

Mea's cheeks were stained with the trails of her tears, eyes puffy and mascara smeared. She gave a slight sniffle, reaching her hand to wipe her face. The chains clink softly from the movement. Mea tried to loosen the shackles around her wrists but it did little good and if anything, it only seemed to make the metal dig more into her skin.

How long had it been? How long had it been since she had been abducted? Mea lost track of the time. Had it been over a month? She wasn't sure. It felt like it had been years but that couldn't be the case.

How was her mother? Her father? Did they miss her often? What of her little sister?

Her friend. Lily.

Shugo…

Tears threatened to take over and Mea swiftly swatted them away, refusing to break.

Her friend had gone through this for her once. Her friend had almost died for her.

Mea would return the favor.

~:*:~

a/n: I hope everyone liked this chapter. I hope the LOTR cosplay was good. I tried hard! ^~^ Anyway it was so nice to be able to have time to write this. College has been so hectic lately. It's been crazzzyy. But all the mail I've been getting to continue my story has encouraged me to sit down and do this! So thank you everyone who sent me stuff. It was very kind of you. :] I'm glad that everyone wanted to read more of this.

Have a good day~!

P.S.

Ahem. Anybody remember Dr. Taylor? Probably not. coughcoughchapter2andchapter8coughcough. :)


	21. Dark Haired chan

**a/n: **Special thanks to my spectacular Beta! *showers her with cyber brownies* :D Such a wonderful Beta~! Ahaha. And thank you so much to all of my readers. ^__^ All your reviews make me so happy and really urge me to keep writing. So thanks so much. And to all you lurkers that secretly read this story and don't tell me –*points at traffic button* - I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!! XD Aaha. So if you're reading this and you haven't left a review, but you secretly like my story from the shadows, then thank you. :] Lol!

Anyway this chapter is mainly about Mea. Sorry that there's not much KyouyaxSafira action. =[ Makes me sad. But this is important and needed to be written down! Plus, since we have all been deprived of fluff, that means more fluff is on its way~! Yay! *dances*

Annndd. I scanned my Kyouya/Safira picture. ^^ It's up on my profile. I spent a lot of time on it~! So if you haven't seen it yet, please go take a look and tell me what you think. It's not the greatest drawing ever but I still wanna know what people think. :D

Anyway I changed the chapter title because of my Beta. XD It made me smile. So I stuck with it. Thanks again Beta! *gives Beta more chocolate pastries* It's actually supposed to say Mysterious-Dark-Haired-_Wet_-chan but it didn't fit! LOL! Imagination. Use it. K. I'm done. *runs to eat dinner*

~:*:~

**Chapter 21: Mysterious-Dark-Haired-Wet-chan**

~:*:~

**~ Seven Years Ago ~**

"Nii-san? What do you think it's gonna be - a boy or a girl?"

"I have no idea," Shugo replied to his younger sister, trailing closely beside her, umbrella held securely in his hand and adjusting his backpack with the other. "How would I know that anyway?"

"You could make an educated guess," the little blonde piped over her shoulder, before skipping straight into a large puddle, causing water to splash all the way up to her knees. "Weee! I love the rain!"

The sky was painted in large brushstrokes of gray and sorrow. The rain raced down, fresh from heaven and pitter-pattered gently against the concrete sidewalk. Shugo could hear it happily drumming on the top of his umbrella, which kept his head and shoulders completely dry. His sister had an umbrella as well but it wasn't doing her much good. She spun and danced with it, twirling the umbrella by its handle in swift ungraceful circles. She had never been good at dancing, even as a child. Innocent laughter rang through the storm like silver bells, water rushing down the contours of her face causing her sapphire eyes to appear brighter than usual.

_Father's eyes…_

"What's the point of carrying an umbrella if you aren't even going to use it?" Shugo yelled loudly and seeing as she had already gained much distance, he quickened his pace. "Mom's not gonna be happy when you come in the house and you're dripping water all over the kitchen floor!"

"Because it's pretty!" She said with a little laugh, turning to face him and stopping in place so that he could catch up. "All the other girls in my class think so too."

Shugo wrinkled his nose at it, his hazel eyes narrowing at the sight of his sister's bright pink umbrella, lined with lace and a large pink bow sitting promptly on top. It was the sort of object that screamed _fairy tale princess_ and caused him to shudder each time he saw it. He was glad that his parents had bought him a simple gray one but he would be lying if he said that he didn't miss his Charizard umbrella. Along with his sister's hideous umbrella were pink knee-high rain boots and a matching colored raincoat. The inside of the hood was black and spotted with small white polka dots. Shugo hadn't seen her put her hood up once throughout the entire storm, let alone use her umbrella to its advantage. Shugo had casually dressed himself in dark jeans and a black jacket, although he was regretting choosing to walk home from school in his Converse; the water had already soaked through his shoes and seeped into his soaks, his feet now freezing blocks of ice.

"So you never answered my question," she said with a large smile. Her blonde hair was shorter then only coming up to about her shoulders. "Is mommy gonna have a girl or a boy?"

Shugo sighed. "I told you. I don't know."

"What would you want it to be?"

Shugo paused seriously taking the time to think it over. His brows furrowed in thought, scratching the top of his head. "Well… I don't know. It would be nice to have a little brother to play with." It would be awesome if he didn't have to look at so much pink stuff all the time. "But I wouldn't mind having another little sister to look out for," he said with a large grin. "And besides. That way _you_ can have someone to play with."

"I don't mind playing with big brother," she said with a small smile. "I wouldn't mind having two brothers either. But a little sister would be nice. That way I can protect someone too!"

Shugo smiled warmly. He placed his hand over her shoulder, looking down at the fragile child before him. "You just leave that to me. I'll never let anything bad happen to you or our little brother or sister. I'm the oldest. That's my job."

His sister smiled, jumping out from underneath his hand. She shook her head. "Not everything has to be up to you Shugo. Even you need some help sometimes – race you home!"

Shugo tore after his sister, trying hard to steady the umbrella in his grasp but did little good. He was already getting wet along his face and shoulders. He was practically at her heels as she turned a corner, so it came to a surprise to Shugo when she suddenly came to a halt causing Shugo to run straight into her. His sister was shorter than he was, coming up to about his chest. He looked down at her, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Why did you –"

"Shh," she whispered softly, her sapphire eyes glancing up at him. "Look!" She pointed to somewhere ahead of them, through the curtain of rain.

At the entrance of a small alleyway was a tiny girl about his sister's age. Her body was curled into her chest, face buried into her knees. Shugo couldn't see her face because of this but he could see that her hair was the color of night and was plastered to her head from the rain, dripping wet. It was hard to see from this distance but Shugo was sure that her shoulders were shaking.

_Was she… crying?_

For a moment the siblings were silent. All that could be heard was the constant dribble of rain against the asphalt and a few cars passing by every few minutes, sloshing puddles of water. What had happened to that girl? She looked to be around nine or ten, which was his sister's age. How could she be all alone? And why was she crying?

"Um… hey, sis? Maybe we should turn –"

Without a word or even a second glance, his sister darted ahead and across the street towards the lonesome child. Shugo gave a start, his eyes large. "What the – hey! Don't! We don't even know who she is! Sis! Come back!"

When she didn't, Shugo felt himself give a little growl in annoyance. Why couldn't she just listen? What if the little girl wanted to be left alone? Her parents had to be nearby somewhere. Either way, Shugo wasn't going to just leave his sister with some strange kid. He gave an unsettled sigh before running after her, trying to steady the umbrella over his head.

~:*:~

The rain was cold. Sharp. Like a thousand tiny needles pricking into her flesh. Mea felt herself shiver, her hands gripping her legs tighter to her chest. It hurt. The rain. It continually struck against her small body, making her wounds sting. Mea wished that she had had time to grab a coat before she left. The little worn out blue dress did no good against the storm. Her feet were still throbbing from running so fast, her sandals torn from urging herself to go faster, her heart drumming unpleasantly within her chest. Mea wasn't sure if her feet were bleeding or not. She had thought that she may have cut her foot on something, but was too scared to stop and check. Even now she was afraid to look up, scared that her Daddy might appear around the corner with a Louisville slugger and that horrible burning look in his eyes, the kind that made fear twist in the pit of her stomach.

Mea felt tears run down her face, her body trembling from both cold and terror. She felt frozen. She wanted to go someplace warm. Someplace safe. She wanted to go home.

But no. Home was not safe. Daddy was home. Why did he have to be home? Mea wished that she could live by herself. Home was so much nicer when Daddy wasn't there. If Mea was very quiet, she could remember her Mommy's voice in that house. She could hear her humming and singing inside the kitchen. Mea could swear that she could sometimes still make out the faint scent of gingerbread men. Mommy always made gingerbread men, even when it wasn't the right season. It was strange how she could still smell it.

But it had been three years since her Mommy had made any gingerbread men.

Three years since she had heard her voice.

Mommy was dead.

Mea wished she were dead.

It was then did the rain seem to stop. Mea blinked, still refusing to lift up her head. It was strange. She could still hear the rain but she couldn't _feel_ it. It was as if someone had placed a small roof over her head.

"Hello there. What's your name? How come you're out here without a jacket or an umbrella? Aren't you cold?"

Mea gave a slight flinch at the voice. She didn't recognize it but she knew that it belonged to a young girl, maybe someone around her own age. Mea finally lifted her eyes up from her knees, staring at a sweet-looking girl with shoulder length blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. She was holding a really girly umbrella over Mea's head and she was covered head to toe in pink, causing Mea to give a slight grimace. She was so shocked by the child's appearance that she had forgotten what the girl had asked her in the first place, and the first thing that blurted out of her mouth was:

"You're wet."

The girl tilted her head to the side, appearing to be confused. Her hair and face were already soaked without the shelter from the umbrella, little droplets of water bouncing off her rubber jacket and onto the ground. The girl smiled broadly as if Mea had just said a really funny joke, laughing.

"Silly, silly! You're wetter than I am!" She replied, sticking out her tongue. "You're the one out here with no jacket or anything. Aren't you cold?"

Mea was shaking like a leaf, trying to hide her chattering teeth from behind closed lips. "I-I was running. I had no time to grab a coat."

"Running? How come?" The girl asked innocently. The girl's eyes suddenly widened. "Are you crying? Why?"

Mea swallowed, swiftly swatting away the tears at her face. How could the girl tell that she was crying in the rain? Were her eyes red and puffy? Mea didn't know.

"Because my Daddy hates me." The words came out her mouth against Mea's own accord, silently kicking herself for revealing such information. Daddy always told her to never tell anyone about what went on between them. Tell them that you fell down. Tell them that you got into a fight with someone at school. Tell them that I tried to catch you when you tripped over the stairs but it happened all too fast.

Never tell them the truth.

If you tell them the truth, you'll die.

The girl seemed surprised her little lips open in a large 'O' shape, her blue eyes now wide. "Really? How come?"

Mea didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to continue having this conversation. It was dangerous. Her Daddy would find out. He'd kill her! If anyone found out, Mea would be dead!

"Because… I look like my Mommy," Mea replied softly. Her eyes lowered, watching the rain hit against the ground. The droplets were small circles before they hit, exploding into a thousand tiny more spheres. Her Mommy had always liked the rain. "He says I'm just like her. He doesn't like it. He doesn't want me to be like Mommy."

"Where is your Mommy?"

Mea shifted her position, twisting her fingers in her hands. She continued to watch the rain fall down, pitter-pattering against the pavement. Her face was blank of any expression, mesmerized with the rhythm and shape of the shower. Her Mommy always took her outside to dance in the rain.

"In heaven."

The girl didn't say anything. She straightened a little, making sure to keep the umbrella safely over Mea's head. And then she introduced herself, speaking her name in a gentle whisper. It was soft and barely even audible, but Mea would always remember it.

"Did your Father do that to you?"

The sound of a new voice caused Mea to jump. It belonged to a boy. Her eyes jetted over to his, hazel meeting winter. Her icy blue eyes expanded. He was soaked with rain and smelled like snow, even though it wasn't the right season. He had an umbrella but he wasn't using it, instead holding it over the other little girl. The rain bounced off his jet black head, dark eyes surveying over her tiny figure. She knew what he saw. He saw a little girl covered in rain and mud, blood and bruises. This dress was no good for hiding those either. His expression was hard, as if he wanted to rip something apart. It made Mea shudder.

She tried to speak, tried to answer his question but only a faint gurgle emitted. She gave a slight yelp when the boy suddenly lunged at her, grabbing her by her arm and pulling her to her feet. He was so much taller than her, even then. His expression changed when he realized that she was trembling, his hazel eyes now slightly warmer.

"Our Dad is a policeman. He can help you," he informed her, never tearing his eyes away. "Our Dad can make sure that your Daddy never hurts you again."

"Yeah! We'll help you Mysterious-Dark-Haired-Wet-chan!" The blonde said with a joyful smile. "Big brother and I will lead the way to our house!"

This was her brother? The two of them looked nothing alike. Mea swallowed, her eyes falling to the ground.

"My name is Shugo by the way."

Her eyes fluttered to his. He was smiling now. Mea was aware that his hand was still grasped around her arm, light rushing into her eyes and through her veins. Mea smiled slightly. Her body had stopped shaking.

"I'm Mea."

~:*:~

_**Five Years Later**_

"No school today?"

Mea peaks her head up from underneath her blankets, face pale and blue eyes glazed. Her nose appeared to be a little red and two purple rings underneath her eyes indicated that she hasn't seen sleep in weeks. She is now fourteen and a much different girl from the one that was found shivering in the rain five years ago. Her body was steadily growing, slowly morphing into the woman she would one day become. But at the moment she was stuck between childhood and adulthood. Her hair was longer then, chest length. Once she reached high school she would cut it so that it just barely passed her shoulders. Her eyes were two bright chips of ice, pale but surprising.

"_Blue eyes and dark hair seems to be a rare thing these days," Mea's adoptive mother had told her just a few days ago. "You should be proud of how you look."_

"_Dad says that I used to look like my mom," Mea had replied, her tone gentle. "In a way, I'm happy that I look like her. But at the same time… I wish that I didn't."_

Being the spitting image of her mother is what had caused her father to go ballistic in the first place. Mea couldn't help but wonder if she had been born with more of her father's features, then maybe he wouldn't have raised his belt and fists. But his words had always been worse than a beating.

"_You're a good for nothing whore, just like your momma!_" _Mea jumped when he threw down one of the wooden kitchen chairs, splintering right before her eyes_. _"She lived and died as a good-for-nothin' whore and you're exactly the same! You look just like her. You'll die just like her too!_"

_Five-year old Mea scratched at the table top, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hadn't had a haircut in months, making her bangs long enough to be in the way all the time, shielding her face. She wanted to brush them aside but her hands were too shaky._

_She wasn't really sure what exactly a _horror_ was but Mea was positive that it meant something bad; otherwise her Daddy wouldn't have thrown down the chair. But Mea's Mommy hadn't been bad. She had always been so kind, so loving. She could never be a _horror.

"_M-mommy wasn't a _horror_,_" _Mea finally had the courage to pipe_ _but refused to look him in the eye._ _"A-and I'm not a _horror_ either_."

_That alone made her father crow. His eyes gleamed like red-hot fire pokers as he bent over the table, leveling his face with her__s__. Mea backed a way a little bit in her chair; she could smell the whisky on his breath._

"_Are you stupid, kid? She died of AIDS. You know how you get AIDS? From havin' sex and doin' drugs. You're Momma had too much fun with all that and now she's dead. You probably have AIDS too. You're Momma dug your grave before you were even born."_

Mea was not born with AIDS, due to some sort of miracle from God. But her Daddy had AIDS from sleeping with her mother. Her Mommy got it exactly like how her father had said: From having sex and doing drugs.

Before Mea's mother had met her Daddy, she had been working at Scarlet Rose, a whorehouse. She had never finished high school. It was right in the middle of her sophomore year when she ran off with a man who was five years older than her, and ended up with too many bruises and welts to spare. He was thrown in jail for selling drugs and she was on her own. Her Mommy had been too ashamed to return to her parents. She tried working at fast food places but she couldn't pay off the rent. Her Mommy hated doing it but it seemed that selling her body was the only way for her to earn rent. Being what she was, she ended up getting into drugs and alcohol abuse. It wasn't until she met Mea's Daddy did she go back to school.

It wasn't until she was married and had Mea, did she discover she had AIDS. She gave AIDS to her Daddy too. He had been battling against it for years now.

But she hadn't seen him since that day Shugo and his sister found her. They saved her from him and gave her a new Mommy and a new Daddy. And even though Alania and Christian weren't her real parents, they loved her like she was one of their own. Christian was a doctor and Alania was a dentist. The two of them were friends of Shugo's family and were having trouble bearing a child. After her father had been thrown in jail for abusing his daughter, Mea was introduced to them and the couple instantly fell in love with her. Mea decided that she was fond of them too. The paperwork was done and in a matter of weeks, she was in a new home with a new family.

It often happens to mothers who have difficulty getting pregnant, that once they adopt, it finally happens. And that's just what happened to Alania. A few years after Mea had been taken under their wing, her little sister Skylar was born into the world.

Mea was a little bit jealous of Skylar at first. She was afraid that since they had another baby girl that they would forget about her. But she quickly learned that this was not the case.

"_We love Skylar just as much as we love you, Mea,_" Alania told her, giving her a slight hug. _"Both of you are our beautiful daughters. I'm so blessed to have the two of you. I would never want it any other way_."

Mea gave a slight moan and turned over on her side, looking away from her adoptive father. She felt sick to her stomach and the two of them knew exactly why.

She had been feeling this way for weeks, months even.

Today her real father was released from jail. He served five years and now he was coming back.

Her stomach churned just thinking about it. She could remember his face so clearly, remember the anger and the malice twisted over his Japanese features. His eyes had been so dark. They always reminded Mea of two black endless holes. People say that the window to a person's soul is through their eyes. But not matter how hard Mea tried, she could never see it. His eyes were always so empty. Soulless. Only anger and bitterness resided in there.

"Honey, are you okay?" Christian inquired from the doorway. When Mea didn't respond he crossed over to the foot of her bed, sitting himself down. Her adoptive father's eyes were as molten as he reached down to give her leg a slight shake, lips pulled into a small worried frown. "You've been locking yourself up in your room for this entire weekend. Are you sick?"

Mea nodded, her face growing hot. "I – I don't feel good, Dad. I don't want to go to school today."

It had taken Mea a while to get used to calling Christian 'Dad'. But he was more of a father to her than her real one. In a way, she almost felt uncomfortable referring to her real father as 'Dad' now.

Christian sucked in a small breath. He was silent for a moment before he finally rested his eyes over her. "Ameya… is this about… well _him_?"

Mea froze.

"Is it because… he's being released today?"

Mea sunk a little bit further into her blankets, trying to hide her face. "Maybe," she grumbled.

"He can't hurt you anymore," Christian said firmly enough to make Mea look up at him. "Even though he's released from prison today, he can't come within even five feet from you. We got that restraining order the same day he was sent in prison. You're mother and I will do everything in our power to protect you. So please, don't worry about going to school. You'll be safe."

Mea shook her head. "I know, Dad. It's just that… I keep seeing him. I keep seeing his face in my head. Just the memory of his voice makes me flinch a little." Mea swallowed and took a deep breath. "I – I just feel sick. I can't stand it. Would you mind if I stayed home, just for today?"

Christian sighed. He ran his hand through his light brown hair, brown eyes falling onto the pattern of the blanket. "Alright," he finally told her. "But just for today. You're going to have to go back eventually, Mea. This isn't something permanent."

"I know Dad… thank you."

~:*:~

The little blonde bounced up and down on her heels, hands secured tightly around the handlebars of her bike to keep it in place as she stood. She was wearing faded blue jeans and a short sleeved pale pink shirt with a white tank top underneath. Her Converse were the same color as her short sleeved shirt. She had been trying to grow her hair out for a while now, but it wasn't the length that she wanted yet. It was pretty long but not long enough.

The girl sighed, impatient. She moved her bike a little bit closer to the edge of the school building, resting her back against the bricks. The high school got out later than the middle school and since Mea hadn't come to school today she was here on her own. The whole day had been boring without Mea around. She silently wondered if Mea had gotten sick – maybe should cook up some chicken noodle soup for her later. Her mom was pretty good at cooking. She was sure that her family had some kind of secret homemade recipe lying around the house somewhere.

She sighed, looking around the school's scenery. There was a large open space to play basketball not too far away and a playground, but no kids were on it, seeing as most of them had already been picked up or had taken the bus home. Today she couldn't help but feel that it was strangely quiet almost to the point where it was uncomfortable. And suddenly she had this really weird feeling in her gut, like something wasn't right. She shifted a little bit on her feet, glancing towards the building as if this would make time go faster.

"Stupid high school," the little blonde grumbled, ignoring the slight shakiness in her voice. "Why can't they just get out the same time as the middle school?"

It was then did she hear something softly approaching from around the corner. Someone was slowly creeping towards her, their weight crunching the twigs from underneath their feet.

The teenager felt panic clawing at her from underneath her skin and she tried to force it away. _Nothing is going to happen_, she told herself. _I'm at a school. There are teachers inside and I'm sure other kids are out here somewhere. Maybe it's one of my classmates._

But it wasn't a classmate. It was a man. But his appearance caused her to give an involuntary cringe, eyes automatically widening.

He stood at probably about 5'10" or 5'9". His face was unshaven and his hair was ragged and knotted, and the girl wondered how long it had been since he had had a bath. His face and body seemed clean but his clothing was two sizes too small and filthy. His shoes didn't fit him right – she could see his big toe pocking out from behind his worn out sneakers. Crows feet touched the corners of his eyes, mouth slightly drooped in a frown that had been engraved into his skin after so many years.

His eyes were two black tunnels, constantly twisting to no end. Infinite. It made her think of two deep holes of hopelessness. There was no light behind such eyes. No smile, no laughter. Just pure anger and sorrow.

But it's not his eyes or even his clothes that threw the girl off guard. It's the skin on his face. Thousands of scaly looking sores cover his face, ranging from his forehead all the way down to his chin. They were scarlet and purple. It made the girl wince, even though her parents had raised her to be polite and kind to those who were different. But there was something about him, something other than the disfigurement on his face that made the girl turn her eyes away, make her heart thunder.

His gaze almost seemed to scorch her.

"You." He speaks the word with such venom that she forced herself to look back at him, her stomach twisting and sapphire eyes wide. "You took my little girl away from me. You're the reason I was thrown in that hellhole! You're the reason I can't see her again!"

The girl drops her bike and it clatters to the ground. She tried to back away but her back is already pressed up against the wall. She attempts backtrack, as if hoping to disappear through the bricks and into whatever classroom laid behind it but the man grabs her by her arm, pulling her close, far, far too close.

"She was my daughter! Mine!" He roared. He squeezed her arm and the girl cried out because it hurt. She tried to wiggle away, loosen his grip but its vice was too powerful. She yelled and screamed, telling him to let her go but he didn't listen. "Where is she?" He shouted over her. "Where? WHERE IS MEA?!"

This was him. This was Mea's father. Her _real_ father. It hit her like a tidal wave, crashing and flooding into her chest. Unpleasant chills rushed down her spine and suddenly, her entire body felt as if it were being pricked by a thousand tiny needles, rooting her in place. How could she have forgotten? Mea had been worried that he would come to school. That's probably why she didn't show up today.

"I don't know," the girl lied, trying to keep her voice even. "And if I did, I wouldn't tell you anyway! You can't make me!"

His eyes grew ablaze with something scary, something that she has never seen in the eyes of any other living human being. And suddenly he snatched her by her arm, pulling her into his chest, his other arm wrapping tightly around her back like an iron bar.

"We'll just see about that, won't we little girl?"

~:*:~

Karin stared at the scene before her almost not believing what she saw. That stupid girl that she absolutely despised was standing outside by the school all by herself. At least she was at first.

Now there was a man with her. Karin couldn't really make out his face from where she was standing but she could tell that matters were getting violent. All of a sudden he had her in his arms and he was carrying her away, despite her screams of protest and flailing kicks and punches against his back.

Karin didn't know what to do. She remained frozen and rooted to the ground, tingles of shock rising from her toes and all the way up the top of her head. By the time she finally recovered he was already driving away with her in a red pickup truck…

At once her senses kicked into action. She had to do something. Even though she couldn't stand that girl, she still had to do something. This was an abduction! She just witnessed a kidnapping!

Her legs pumping on their own accord, Karin tore towards the schools main entrance, her feet somehow leading her to the principal's office…

~:*:~

The pain was all around her. Inside and out. She wanted to escape it but she couldn't. He tied her down to a chair in the center of the room. The knots were so tight that her wrists were starting to bleed. Every time she moved, the ropes only seemed to grow tighter, causing her to cringe.

Pain exploded into the girl's jaw. She cried out as his rolled up fist crashes into her, blood flying from her mouth. She flexed her jaw to make sure it wasn't broken, glad to know that it wasn't but teared at the feeling of fire-hot pain spreading up into her cheek. The blonde-haired girl turned to face him, her sapphire eyes flashing with hate.

"I'm not telling you where she is!" The girl snapped. "You can do this to me all day. I don't care. You can hurt me all you want – but you're never gonna hurt my best friend, not ever again!"

The man let loose a large string of profanity before he smacked her across the face. Her head immediately went spinning to the left, her golden hair flying with her movements. She felt like she was going to be sick but she forced the bile back, trying to gain some control. But heat was gushing into her veins and little red and white dots were beginning to do acrobats in front of her face.

Maybe if she closed her eyes… it would all just be a dream.

A really horrible, horrible dream.

"You can't keep her from me you stupid girl! I'm her father! I have the right! I have the right to see her! You stole her from me! You took her away – ARRGH!"

She screamed flinching away from something that went soaring passed her head. Whatever it was, it crashed and shattered against the wall from behind her. Suddenly he was standing a breath away from her face and clenching a fistful of her starlight colored hair. He was pulling it upwards and it caused her to wince, eyes automatically watering from the pain.

And then he slammed her head into the table in front of her. Hard.

Her vision flashed red and white. She tried to see past the colors but they were blinding her, engulfing her, swallowing her whole. Her head was throbbing and raw agony seared through her nose and mouth. She was almost positive that she has lost a tooth and had a broken nose but she was in too much pain to tell. She tasted blood.

"Mea is my daughter! Do you understand? MINE!" Between words he would continually slam her head into the table. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and unwillingly, wrenched the loudest, most blood-freezing cry that had ever escaped her lips. Tears poured down her cheeks, mingling with the blood rushing from her mouth and nose. She could hear him yelling at her but she could no longer make out words. The only thing she could think of was the pain.

White light shone into her face. The man stopped abruptly, holding her head up just a little bit above the table and still grasping her by her hair. Confused, the girl just barely lifted her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred and she had to blink furiously through the haze. There was one light. Then two. Three… four… five…

Six… seven…

"FREEZE!"

Eight… nine…

"Release the child. Step away from the girl and put your hands up on the back of your head."

Ten… eleven…

But he didn't release her. Instead he reached into his back pocket, brandishing a pocket knife that shimmered in the beams of flashlights. She shivered at the feeling of cool silver placed against her throat but at the same time, was barely aware of it. She knew that the blade's edge was pricking into her skin but her entire face was already in so much pain that she felt completely numb to everything else around her.

"Put your guns down or I'll slit her throat!" The man roared, spit flying. "I-I mean it! I'll kill her! I'll kill her right here and right now!"

"Put the knife down! Release the child!"

"Put your guns down!"

"RELEASE THE CHILD OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO SHOOT!"

There were so many lights. So many white rays of light. They reminded her of the headlights of a car or even spotlights. She didn't like them. They were so bright. She could feel herself wincing under their powerful beams, eyes burning against the intensity.

"I want my daughter! Bring me back my daughter!"

"_Mea, are you my friend?"_

_Mea stopped abruptly on the sidewalk. She turned her head to look over at her, her dark eyebrows pulled up into an elegant arch. "That was random. Of course I am." Her blue eyes were alit with curiosity. "Why do you ask?"_

_She was quiet for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Then the girl finally sighed, tossing back a small strand of fair blonde hair. "It's just that, I've never had one before besides Shugo. So I want to make sure."_

_Mea smiled, genuine. "I've never really had one either. You're my first friend. I mean – you gave me my life back. Thanks to you, I have a family now." She paused, stuffing her hands into her pockets. It was winter then. The two of them were fully clothed in heavy coats, mittens and scarves. Mea wrapped her scarf a little tighter from around her neck to keep safe from winters chill. "You don't have to worry. I'll always be your friend."_

_The girl lifted her head and smiled, her sapphire eyes sparkling. "I'll always be your friend too, Mea! Your best friend! Okay?"_

_Mea grinned. "Alright. Best friends are always there for each other. So that means we gotta stick together, no matter what. I have your back and you have mine." Mea extended her hand. "Okay?"_

_The girl smiled and reached out her hand. "Okay," she said with a little giggle. And then they sealed the promise with a handshake._

And now five years later, Mea had always been her best friend.

Best friends were always there for each other…

She was there for Mea.

If she had to die for her best friend, then so be it.

The blade took a thin slice of flesh from where it was pressed against her neck. It happened so fast that she didn't have any time to scream, let alone flinch. It was only a small cut but it was deep enough to make unpleasant warmth rise up in her and little black dots flash in front of her eyes. She felt the red ribbon of blood ooze out in a clean straight line and her face twisted in both shock and agony.

And then it happened. The sound of a gunshot rang through the air and suddenly, Mea's father was thrown several feet back, knife stumbling out of his fingertips. He fell to the ground with a large 'thump', blood pooling from the side of his face.

At that same moment, she also fell. She fell to her knees and then onto her side, curling her legs into her chest because she suddenly felt quite cold. The younger girl shivered unpleasantly as footsteps trotted passed her and others around her.

"He still has a pulse," someone was saying. "We have to call an ambulance."

Someone let out a low whistle. "Wow… gunshot through the jaw. That's gotta hurt."

"The guy's sick. We shouldn't call anyone. He should just die here." Another said.

"That's against the rules. We're obligated to call. Now go."

A man fell down in front of her, his face pinched with anxious urgency. A replica of sapphire eyes stared back into her own, though his were holding back tears. His mouth was moving quickly but she couldn't hear anything. It was as if someone turned off all the sound to the world, leaving her completely deaf.

Her name. He was repeating her name. Over. And over. She only stared back at him, eyes empty.

_My name… what is my name?_

_I… do not have… a name…_

_I do not… remember… my name._

"Daddy?" Her voice was soft and unsure. The man nodded furiously and reached out to her, cradling her protectively against his chest. She saw a gun down on the floor by his foot, and she realized then that he was the one who had fired the shot.

_My name…_

_What was my name?_

~:*:~

"My name is Safira and I'm a maid working at Kyouya-senpai's house!" Safira informed the girls pleasantly, a large but naïve smile stretching across her face. "And this here is Abella, which is short for Adorabelle. Her mommy was gone so I'm her mommy now!" She said, proudly lifting the hummingbird up for all to see.

The girls nodded as if they understood the situation perfectly, when in reality they were completely lost. Pleasant smiles were plastered across their faces but there was an inner bitterness to each of them, their faces twitching slightly from holding such fake cheerful expressions for so long. Each of them was brewing with jealously. That much was obvious to Kyouya, who was now straightening out his tie from across the room and attempting to do anything _but_ notice Safira.

The Host Club was now closed but a few of the girls had still lingered afterwards strictly because they were curious about the rumors they had heard of the strange new girl; they wanted to know if she really was living with their Kyouya-senpai and if she was, they wanted to know _why_. And with Safira's last statement their deepest fears had been confirmed.

She really was living with him.

But the question of why was still left lingering.

"So… have you and Ootori-sama known each other for a long time?" One of the girls asked, trying her best to keep her smile even. "How long have you guys been friends?"

Safira paused for a moment, looking skyward and tapping her chin with her index finger in thought. Her other hand was safely cradling Abella. "Well gee… I dunno. It's beeeeennn. Hmmm... a few months?"

The girls' smiles only seemed to have become more strained. Their faces clearly indicated their thoughts which only deemed to be unpleasant.

_She's only known him for a few months? I've been in love with him for years!_

_She thinks that she can just swoop down –_

_and take our precious Ootori-sama away?!_

_She's a dead woman. DEAD!_

_Nooo! Kyouya! Don't fall under this brainless witch's spell!_

Kyouya sighed, exasperated. Safira really could be clueless at times. Even now it was as if she didn't even pick up the signs of danger coming from the surrounding girls, their faces carved with phony sunlit grins and dark rain clouds forming from behind their eyes. Kyouya couldn't decide if their hands were shaking because they were fighting back the urge to strangle Safira or slap her.

He let out another low sigh, rubbing his temples in slow even circles as he slowly began to approach Safira and hopefully, save her from the immediate danger. However he was cut off by a woodland elf who was now wearing Gandalf's beard and waving the wizard's staff, his violet eyes wide and looking as though they were to pop out of his eye sockets at any given moment.

"YOU CANNOT NOT PASS!"

Kyouya glared, clearly un-amused. "Tamaki, move aside you moron."

"Back – back into the shadows!" Tamaki snarled. He jabbed the staff towards Kyouya who backed away to avoid being hit, all the while his silver eyes narrowing.

"Could you stop being an idiot for about five seconds?" Kyouya growled. He attempted to walk past Tamaki but each time he tried, Tamaki would extend the staff so that it was blocking him. Kyouya was growing irritable. "Tamaki! I swear if you don't –"

"YOU – SHALL NOT – PASS!"

Kyouya stared as Tamaki slammed the butt of the staff down onto the ground. The King made large and unreasonable sound effects of an explosion and earth breaking, all the while pretending to keep his balance in the midst of chaos.

Without a word to his best friend, Kyouya easily walked around him deciding that this would be the best moment to run away. From behind him he heard Tamaki scream: _Go you fools_! Along with the sound of him collapsing onto the ground. Kyouya rolled his eyes.

"Idiot," he grumbled.

Safira had taken up her job as an after school janitor and luckily, her hours had ended just a little bit before the Host Club was closed. She had to leave the Host Club earlier to run down to the maintenance center, almost forgetting that she had even signed up in the first place.

She had changed from the required school uniform and into janitor scrubs, which was the same shade of blue as the boys uniforms and even had Ouran's coat of arms off to the side on her chest. Around her waist was a tool belt however, she didn't have very many tools on there yet. He noticed that she had put her hair up, revealing her neck and shoulders. As he came closer he noticed a tiny little scar along the side of her neck.

It was very tiny. Hardly even there at all. It seemed as though it had faded a lot within the years of sun and time, weakening into the thin little white line that was there now. Not only was it hard to see but Kyouya assumed that her hair covered it up most of the time.

He felt the strangest need to reach out to her, right then and there. A warmth that Kyouya did not recognize suddenly flooded him, washing him from his head and all the way down to his toes. He didn't understand why she looked so beautiful and perfect even though she was in nothing but a mere commoner's garb. It was unsettling.

And yet…

Safira turned to him, her face breaking into a large and joyful smile. It was such a simple expression and a very human one at that. Everyone smiled. Some smiled more often than others and Kyouya had seen her smile countless of times. But this time it made his heart jump and his stomach give a strange but very pleasant swoop. He found himself smiling along with her. It was a light smile, so soft that Kyouya didn't even realize that it had surfaced but all the same, it was there.

"Are you ready to go home?" Kyouya held out his hand to her, as if it were the most casual of things to do. She giggled like a child, unaware of the woman's glares and unbelieving stares. She reached up and placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her up. Though it was only a faint meeting, Kyouya found that his skin tingled at her touch.

"Yes." She said with a warm smile.

~:*:~

a/n: Sorry that, that last part is so lame! I couldn't think of a way to end it so I just threw in some fluffy thing lol. I hope it wasn't too bad. I'm really tired so it probably sucks lol. And before I get comments about this it IS possible to have parents who have AIDS and then have a child who doesn't have it. My uncle had AIDS. He got married to my aunt and they both had a child. After their kid was born, they found out that my uncle had AIDS and my cousin and aunt were both tested and neither of them had it by some miracle of God. So it IS possible. Don't tell me that it's not~! Cause I knooowwww. Yes.

Anyway I hope everyone liked it. But now we all know why Mea is so determined to hold out for Safira. =) Because Safira did the same for her~! Even though Safira was only a hostage for like… four hours I think. Lol. Oh, well. She would've stayed for days and months if she had too!

And if anyone is wondering, no, she did not get amnesia when she was kidnapped. She was just really panicked and her adrenaline was running and all that. She was scared. She couldn't focus and she was confused. So everything was coming out in a blur. Plus she was in lots of pain. =[ *kicks Mea's real Dad*

Dr. Taylor thing will be explained soon! And so will more info about Mea's real dad. I wanted it to be explained in this chapter but it's too long. And so is this a/n… blah! I suck! *runs away*


	22. YEAH! Pepto Bismol!

a/n: Alright. So I lied. The NEXT chapter shall have more info on Dr. Taylor and Mea's father. Sorry. =[ It seems that I made the chapter too long, once again lol. Anyway sorry for the wait. School is my main priory right now, unfortunately. I'm counting down to Thanksgiving and Christmas break! Woot! Lol. :) But I hope that everyone likes this. ^-^d

Thank you so much for the reviews and kind words. You all make me so happy. =D And to my awesome Beta, who never stops being awesome lol! *hands out cyber hot chocolate for everyone* It's already supposed to start snowing over here! Ugh! It's supposed to be fall! O__o _WHY_ is it snowing? I should be able to appreciate at least _semi-warm_ weather for a few more months! Gaaah!! *ventures off to find a blanket* T.T

~:*:~

**Chapter 22: YEAH! Pepto-Bismol!**

~:*:~

"Camping? What's that?" Safira inquired curiously. She flopped down on Kyouya's couch in his bedroom, stretching her stomach over the comfortable cushions. Kyouya sent her a slightly irritable glance. When did she seriously think it was suitable for her to just randomly lay down in here? Safira readjusted the phone against her shoulder, her blue eyes suddenly glowing alit with interest. "Really? That sounds like lots of fun, Tama-chan! Kyou-chan and I would love to go!"

Kyouya, who had been busily trying to occupy himself with homework, suddenly felt his fingers stiffen from around his pen. He stared up at Safira in disbelief, his silver eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Excuse me?" Kyouya spoke tightly. "But I think that it would be polite of you to ask if I even _want _to go, before you go off answering for me."

Safira turned her head to face him, pouting. "Aww. You mean you don't wanna?" She was such a child. "It'll be a lot of fun! It was originally just supposed to be Haruhi and her Dad but Tamaki said that commoners like to go camping a lot during breaks from school. And since we have a semester break coming up –"

"No."

"Aww please?"

"No."

"Aww. C'moooon." Safira pleaded. "It will be so much –"

"YOU HAVE TO GO, KYOUYA! HOW COULD YOU DENY SUCH A FANTASTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE?" Safira winced, pulling the phone away from her ear as Tamaki screamed loudly on the other line. "DON'T YOU SEE?! THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HARUHI'S COMMONER'S WAY OF LIFE!"

Kyouya glared at the phone from across the room, clearly unconvinced. Tamaki was such a loud buffoon. "There is _nothing_ for me to learn, nor is there anything to be _gained_," Kyouya replied coolly. "I already know about the basics of camping and in no way does it sound appealing. In any case, does Haruhi _know_ that you're planning on bringing the entire Host Club to the same campsite? The last time something like this occurred, you were under the impression that she was kidnapped, only to discover that she had a summer job. Think back, Tamaki. Was she happy to see you there?"

There was a long pause. Safira had been holding the phone out towards Kyouya so that Tamaki could hear him speak, her blue eyes impossibly large with interest as she listened to his mini-rant. And then, Tamaki spoke.

"Of course she was happy to see me! She was so happy that she nearly cried tears of joy! D'waaahahaaaa."

Kyouya almost smacked his face in his palm. "You are obviously deluded by your stupidity." He said, shaking his head in aggravation.

"C'mon, Kyouya. Can we please go?"

Kyouya looked up at Safira. Her sapphire eyes were sparkling, the vulnerability of her innocence glowing softly on her face. His heart twisted. Emotions that he did not understand began to plummet towards him, crashing against him like waves. Kyouya swallowed, suddenly feeling uneasy from underneath her sweet gaze.

"Fine," he finally breathed, clearly unhappy with the decision. "But we are _not_ sleeping in a tent. If we're going we had better bring a –"

"Yay! Thank you, Kyouya! You're the best person in the whole wide world!" Safira cheered.

Kyouya sighed heavily, tearing his eyes away from her. What was _wrong_ with him? He ran his fingers through his dark hair, trying to wash away the image of her beautiful face but it was already engraved in his head. He sucked in a tight breath. He hoped that this little camping trip he had agreed to go on wasn't _too_ long…

Kyouya heard Safira thank Tamaki for the invitation and then she finally hung up. She crossed over to the other side of the room, plopping down on the floor next to him as he did his homework over his work table. Night had fallen and Safira was already dressed in her pajamas, which were white flannel pajama pants with large pastel colored polka dots all over it topped with soft pink colored spaghetti-strap top. Her hair was down now, but she had piled most of it over one side of her shoulder, revealing the tiny scar on her neck again.

She smiled up at him warmly. Kyouya felt goose bumps rise up on his arms as she scooted closer.

"Whatcha doing?" She inquired happily.

Kyouya rested his cheek in his hand, gray eyes rising to peer at her face. "I'm writing the rough draft to an anatomy essay about dilated cardiomyopathy. I'll have to type it up later." He informed her, his tone casual but bored. "It's a nuisance but it's necessary."

Safira's face wrinkled in confusion. "Dilated… cardi…mo…what?" She inquired, her voice rising up to a pitch. "Sounds complicated."

"It's not really. The name may be a bit long but the problem is quite simple. It's when the heart cavity is too big for the heart so it can't pump enough blood. In rare cases you can live with it, but most people need to have heart transplants, or else their heart will eventually kill them."

Safira's back stiffened, her brows meeting in a tiny frown. "What's a heart… transplant?"

Kyouya quickly explained the details, all the while his pen flying across the paper, his face absolutely blank of any sort of expression. It was almost impossible for Safira to decipher him. When he was finished explaining, Safira appeared deeply disturbed.

"That sounds so scary!" She practically sputtered. "Oh… wow. I feel so horrible for all those people that may have to go through that. Gosh. I hope that I never need a transplant. Or anyone else that I know."

Realization quickly slapped Safira across the face, her blue eyes widening in shock. Kyouya let out a little yell of surprise when Safira was clung onto his shoulder, shaking him quickly with urgency. Her face was tight with nervousness and panic.

"Kyouya! When is the last time that you went to the hospital for a heart a check up?! Is it ok? It's not hurt is it?! How do you know it's not hurt? You need to go to the hospital right away! I don't want you to get a transplant, Kyou-chan! Kyou-chan's heart must be safe!"

Kyouya struggled to pry her fingers off from around his shoulder, wincing slightly at her tight grasp. His glasses were also slightly askew from when Safira had shaken him. With a sigh, he readjusted them and then was able to free his shoulder by taking her hands into his. Kyouya tried not to pay attention to the fact that he enjoyed the feeling of her smaller hands in his own, or the increase in his heart rate.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "My heart is perfectly fine. There is no need for a 'heart check up' or a visit to the hospital."

Safira must have been holding her breath because she then let out a large mouthful of air, reassured. "Oh, good. I'm so relieved," she said with a silly grin, resembling very much of Tamaki. Her blue eyes lingered on his face for a moment before they lowered, her cheeks turning several deep shades of pink upon realizing that he was holding her hands.

Kyouya released another sigh, and then forced himself to let go, placing her hands gently in her lap. Although he externally appeared to be unbothered by what had just occurred, Kyouya's internal senses were going wild. His heart was racing like a jackhammer inside his chest and now that stupid dragon had come back again, screaming: _Why did you let go you, idiot!?_

There was an awkward silence. Kyouya cleared his throat, quickly forcing his attention back to his studies and trying to will his heart to slow down. Meanwhile Safira continued to stay beside him, staring down at her lap with flushed cheeks and twirling a piece of hair. Kyouya didn't even realize what he was writing anymore. His mind was completely blank, and yet his hand was still moving. The only sound was of the pen scratching against the paper.

It was too quiet. Never before had Kyouya ever felt so awkward.

No longer able to stand the silence, Kyouya reached across the table to grab his TV remote. At once the room was filled with the voices of news broadcasters, breaking the silence. Safira turned her attention to the screen, her face slowly fading back to its original color. While she was now preoccupied with the news, Kyouya found that he was able to concentrate on his writing. He was barely listening to words of a news reporter…

"… _the body was found buried close to the river. We are not sure as to how long she may have been buried, but her body suggests starvation and dehydration. It's possible that she could have been in the coffin several days before the burial…"_

Safira stiffened. She twisted her hands in her lap, her gentle features pinched with surprise and her eyes large. Out from the corner of his eye, Kyouya saw that her body was softly beginning to tremble. Alarmed by her fragile stance, he stopped the movement of his pen. He frowned, sitting up a little straighter.

"Are you alright?" Kyouya inquired, unsure. Had he done something wrong?

"Y-yeah," Safira said quietly. She twisted a strand of silky blonde hair, turning her eyes downcast. "It's just that… that story… on the news… it's scary."

Kyouya was silent for a moment. His expression hardened and he turned his head towards the screen. There was an image of a female news reporter speaking into a microphone and behind her was the victim's burial spot. Kyouya could see a group of police officers huddled around a hole in the ground, speaking amongst themselves. The sight made Kyouya's stomach clench.

"_...they found two roses within Ms. Okada's coffin; one red and one white. The significance of such a thing is only…"_

"It almost seems unreal," Safira said, with a shake of her head. "I mean… I don't understand. How could somebody take pleasure in hurting somebody else? It's just so wrong."

"Some people are just sick, Safira." Kyouya said, his eyes still lingering onto her. "Our world is always going to have disgusting people who inhabit it. You just need to make sure that you stay away from those people."

He didn't want her to get hurt.

Safira swallowed, appearing uneasy. Her eyes flickered back onto the screen, her face growing pale as the news woman spoke.

"_The victims are always found scattered among Japan. The last girl found, Karin Okada, was seventeen years old. If the statistics are correct, then that means that the Grave Digger will continue his pattern and a fourteen year old will be next. We advi__s__e that children take the bus to school or have parents drive them up to the school's entrance. Parents should make sure to actually _see_ their child enter the school before leaving..." _

Safira turned her head swiftly, her long blonde hair following her movements. "What if he comes here?" Her voice was cracked and faint when she spoke, clearly terrified by the idea. "That river… it's not too far from here. What if he comes to our school looking for girls? T-that would be horrible!"

Kyouya's eyes narrowed. "That would never happen, Safira." He spoke with such venom that Safira actually flinched. She lifted her large blue eyes up to his, biting down on her bottom lip. Kyouya felt his stomach give a strange swoop.

Safira fell silent. She turned her head at a slight angle, staring at something on the floor. Kyouya surveyed her with his eyes and captured a glimpse at the written initials on her wrist. His gaze then slowly moved from the initials and all the way up to her neck, his silver eyes becoming steel.

There was so much about her that he didn't know. So much that he wanted to know. It was driving him mad. How had she gotten such scars? Had she done them to herself? Or were they the sick work of someone else? The thought of anybody lying hand on her caused a surge of anger to seep through him. Kyouya felt his jaw clench.

"How do you know?" She finally asked, unsure. "How do you know that something like that would never happen?"

"Because I won't let it."

For a long moment the two of them stared at each other, heat rushing back into Safira's face. Without even thinking it over, Kyouya extended his hand, his fingers just barely grazing her cheek. She was so warm. Safira blushed harder and looked away, unsure of how she should act. Kyouya's eyes flickered back down to the scar on her neck, his brows furrowing. Safira's breath caught as he brushed his fingers against her throat, gently trailing the scar's path with the tips of his fingers. Her breathing quivered but she did not pull away.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

Safira finally lifted her eyes back up, locking them with his own. Cerulean mixed with silver. Kyouya felt his stomach tighten as she reached her hand up to his jaw, their bodies drawing closer…

"TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!"

Safira cried out, instantly pulling away from Kyouya as though he were a radioactive spider. Kyouya had been surprised himself, his heart jumping straight up into his throat. Safira scrambled to her feet, alarmed.

"I forgot to feed Adorabelle!" she shrieked. "Don't worry, Abella! I'm coming!"

Kyouya watched, completely mystified as Safira raced out of her room and towards her own, shutting the door tightly behind her as she went.

He didn't know how to describe what he felt. Disappointment? Maybe so. His heart felt like it had just sunk into several feet of water. For almost a whole minute Kyouya sat in place, trying to make sense of his feelings. He turned his eyes downcast, practically glaring at his homework.

What had just happened? It was as if his mind had gone numb and his body was reacting by the force of some invisible being.

Kyouya crossed his arms in almost a stubborn sort of way, his thoughts racing.

_I barely even know her,_ Kyouya reminded himself. _She has no memories of her past. I can't possibly be interested_.

_She's been living with you for several months, moron. _The Dragon hissed. _You've been observing her personality for _weeks_. It's obvious that you know her personality by now. And so what if she had no memories? Stop being a baby, and help her make some new ones._

_Shut up!_

He could never picture himself with Safira. She was goofy, naïve, and far too cheerful. It was inhumane to smile so much! Sure, she was sweet and maybe even a little pretty. But _being_ with her?

_Ugh. Why am I even thinking about this?_

In the end, Kyouya decided that the whole idea was preposterous. He wasn't going to put up with this nonsense any longer.

With a sigh, Kyouya ran a hand through his hair and turned his attention back to his paper.

~:*:~

Safira sat with her knees tucked from underneath her on the bedroom floor. She could still feel her face burning as she tried to balance the feeding tube into Abella's mouth. The little hummer had grown slightly bigger at this point and its little body was now covered in soft, multicolored feathers. Safira let out a soft breath, her brows furrowing.

_What… what was that just now?_ Safira thought to herself. _I… I don't understand._

She tried to tell her heart to stop racing but it did little good. It was pounding. Safira was a whole separate room from him, and yet, her heart was going crazy. Butterflies were still fluttering around in the pit of her stomach and her hands were shaky. Kyouya's face was imprinted in her mind. No matter how hard she tried to wash it away, it kept coming back. She felt so many things when she looked at him. But she didn't understand it. She didn't understand _why_.

What did Kyouya think when he looked at her?

A poor girl with no memory? A charity case? Just someone to clean his house in the morning? A girl with no real name? A friend? An annoyance?

A profit?

Profit was always everything to him…

_Ugh… what's wrong with me?_ Safira's brows furrowed almost painfully. She bent over a little bit, holding Abella closer. _My chest… it always hurts. Why?_

_Why does this hurt?_

~:*:~

Nine-year old Skylar's bedroom door opened with a soft squeak. The house was completely dark, only lit by the faint glow of the moon and streetlamps pouring in through her window. Shadows of the night danced upon her walls, casting terrifying images. She felt her eyebrows knit together as she gazed around the room, trying to confirm what had disturbed her slumber.

Her Mommy should be in bed by now but sometimes she stayed up late to finish paperwork. Her Daddy did the same thing once in a while but this time, Daddy wasn't here. He had been called in late for surgery, and her Mommy had told her that he would be back at 4:00 in the morning. Right now it was only midnight. And Daddy's car had not pulled up in the driveway and Mommy's office light was not on.

Something was not right.

Skylar felt her mouth turn dry and it suddenly seemed to become an effort to keep steady breaths. Slow, creeping, fleeting sounds of night whispered into her ear and twisted like the vapors of phantoms.

The wind screeched from outside. The tree's gnarled branches hit the glass windows and cast moving shadows upon the wall. The branches almost looked to be like hands, reaching out to her. Beckoning.

Skylar could hear her heart pumping loudly within her chest.

Biting her bottom lip, she leaned against the threshold, scanning as far as he could see.

"M-Mommy?" At her trembling voice she felt foolish. Why was she so afraid?

_Stop being so stupid,_ she screamed at himself. _You can do this. You're a big girl now! Toughen up!_

However her body was screaming at her to turn back and throw herself deep, deep, deep into the covers and remain hidden, safe. But something was wrong. She knew it.

Skylar inched forward, her movements silenced by the carpet. Every nerve tingled as she felt the blood whoosh through her head. She swallowed, heart faltering before it fell into a steady beat. Skylar gripped the hem of her pale pink pajama top, straining to hear.

All was silent.

The child lifted her chin, staring down the long hallway that led to her mother's bedroom. Just a few steps… and she would be safe. Just a few steps and her mother would embrace Skylar into her loving arms, hushing her softly.

_There's nothing to be afraid of. Mommy's here_. She would say, in that sweet soothing voice of hers. Skylar imagined her running her fingers through her hair, whispering words of love as she put her back to bed.

Just then reality slapped her across the face. This was not a joke. She_ had_ heard something.

Her heartbeat sputtered as she took a step forward, legs trembling. Skylar forced herself to go on, ignoring the voice in the back of her head, screaming: _Get out of here! Something's not right! You know it!_

It wasn't until she came to doorway did she see it. Something solid laid in her sight. Her borrows furrowed, as she turned her body slightly to see a naked foot. Her eyes grew wide, as she brought herself through the door.

There laid her mother flat on her back with her neck turned, arms extended, and fingers curled. Her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping but she looked pained, tortured even. Her pretty brown hair was splayed over her face and shoulders, mingled with the very clear circle of blood, haloed directly underneath her head.

A pained scream tore from Skylar's lips as she lunged herself at her mother's body, pounding her hip with small fists.

"WAKE UP MOMMY! WAKE UP!!" Skylar wailed loudly, hammering with all her might. "**WAKE UP! WAAKKEE UPPPP!**"

Her cheeks were soaked and flamed red. She continued to whack the woman pointlessly. Trying, _trying_ to wake her.

"Mmmmoooommm….yyyy!"

Skylar hadn't thought about keeping her voice down and calling the police. She was too small, too scared but it was too late; he had heard her cries.

A dark figure sprang out from behind her.

Skylar turned her head, eyes large.

Bright teal eyes shone and pierced through the darkness like daggers. A tall and slender man towered over her, garmented in all black.

Nauseating heat gushed through Skylar's blood. Her brain began to shut down. Everything was starting to dim and the world spun around her. Large black spots began to eat away at her sight.

_Run! Run!_ But her brain's final request was forsaken.

The darkness was covering her. Skylar felt herself give way. She fell forward and tasted his mother's newly poured blood. He was coming towards her. That smile. That horrible, horrible smile. She had seen it before. But where? Who did it belong to?

"M-Mommy… h-he…lp… me…"

And then, her world was consumed in darkness.

~:*:~

She was crying. Sobbing. Sobbing so hard that her chest hurt. As if her heart were being weighed down by a ton of rocks. Tears were streaming down her face as she threw herself down onto the bed, her shoulders quaking.

"_WAKE UP MOMMY! WAKE UP!!"_

The child continued to scream through her head, stinging her ears and causing her mind to spin. She was seeing everything through the child's eyes. Pictures. Photographs flashed through Alichina's intellect. She squeezed her ember eyes shut as if this would make the images go away. But they didn't.

They never went away.

"_**WAKE UP! WAAKKEE UPPPP!**__"_

A woman. She was sprawled across the floor, her eyes closed and expression pained. Blood was oozing from the top of her head, forming a puddle. Her child was wailing at the top of her voice, tears gushing down her cheeks and fists flying against her motionless body. She was trying to wake her; like if she hit her hard enough, she would awaken.

But no matter how hard the child tried, the woman would not stir.

"Mmmmoooommm….yyyy!"

The word wrenched out of Alichina's mouth and into the open air. Mommy. A name she hadn't called her own mother in over a decade, now tearing from her vocal chords. Alichina's heart ached and she suddenly longed for her own mother, but her mother was far away on business…

Alichina felt her stomach churn. She could smell it. She could smell the blood pouring from the child's mother. Alichina coughed, gagging. Her heart started pounding. She could feel the girl's panic. Could feel the girl's pain. Her world was steadily turning into black…

And then a color. Teal. Teal eyes flashing in the midst of dark. Hands began to reach out towards her, fingers extended, hoping to pull her in. They were closing around her…

Alichina screamed, jumping back as if she had been burned. Just then, the vision evaporated and broke. The little girl in her head was gone. Alichina gasped for breath. Her body was now twisted in her blankets like a straight jacket, her arms and legs lost within the sheets. She could feel her fingers trembling as she slowly tried to untangle herself, her heart sputtering.

What was that just now? Was it a murder? A kidnapping? Both? Yes. Yes, it had to be.

Alichina pressed her palms against her eyes, wiping away her tears. If it hadn't been for that stupid Safira girl then Alichina wouldn't have had to have seen that vision in the first place! She should be dead right now! She should be far, far away from this physiological torture. She should be in _peace_.

Alichina could not go on living this way. She needed to kill herself and soon. If her younger brother wasn't home then she would have done it tonight. She was still set on drowning herself, so maybe she could have filled up the bath with hot water and then pull her head underneath. Yes. That would have worked well. But the idea of her younger brother finding her…

The idea made her heart twist.

Alichina cried out, slamming her fists into the pillows. "WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME? WHY CAN'T I BE _NORMAL_?!" She screamed over and over again. Then finally, after feathers were floating in the air and her hands begun to ache, Alichina felt her body give way, her arms and legs collapsing onto the bed. She felt so worn. So tired. And yet, the tears continued to flow down her cheeks, completely unable to stop them.

She just wanted out. She didn't want to live like this anymore.

_Please, God,_ Alichina prayed, her eyes squeezing to a close. _Just take me away! Save me! Please!_

Just then her cell phone began to ring. Alichina flinched, surprised. She had ring tones set for specific members of her family and so it was strange to hear just the regular ringing. That meant that an unknown number was calling.

Her cell phone was upon her nightstand and not far from arms length. Giving the phone a funny glance, Alichina reached out and placed it against her ear, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Hello?" She inquired cautiously.

"_MOCHACCINA-CCHI_!"

Alichina screamed, pulling the phone far away from her ear. She stared back at the little object in her hand, her face pinched in disbelief. No. She recognized that voice. Alichina could distinguish that dimwitted, cheerful, bubbly, go-lucky, sparkling ray-of-sunshine voice anywhere. But why? Why was she calling her?

_How? _Alichina thought to herself, horrified. _How did she find me?!_

"Mochaccina-cchi? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," Alichina stated flatly, clearly unhappy to be talking to this girl. "But how the heck did you find my number? I never gave it to you, Safira."

Safira laughed. "Yeah, I know. But Kyou-chan has records of everybody! It was easy to find your number."

_Oh, great. The Shadow King has me on file? Wonderful._

Alichina tried to suppress a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache. "Okay… but is there a _reason_ you're calling me?" Why was this girl suddenly following her? Didn't she get the hint that she didn't want to be friends with her?

There was an uncomfortable pause. Alichina heard Safira suck in a breath before speaking again, her tone sounding genuinely troubled.

"I'm worried, Accina-cchi!" Safira practically exploded. "I don't know what's going on! Everything… everything feels funny!"

Alichina's face turned blank, confused. "Huh? What are you talking about? What feels funny?"

"My chest! It always hurts!" Safira said, concerned. "My heart is always pounding all the time… I always feel nervous or embarrassed… I don't get it. What's wrong with me? You don't think that I need a heart transplant, do you Accina-cchi?! Please, say no! I don't want one!"

Alichina tossed in her bed, keeping her phone angled against her shoulder and glaring at the headboard. Good grief. She did not need this right now. This was clashing against her thoughts of leaving the world. Why did this stupid girl always have to swoop down and distract her with some pointless thing?

"Look. I'm not attracted to women," Alichina said blackly. "So if you're confessing your feelings for me then please save your breath. I turn you down wholeheartedly. Now go away."

"What?" Safira inquired, sounding both hurt and lost. "I- I'm sorry! That's not what I meant! I'm not attracted to women! Though you are very pretty Mocha-chan! I'm sure that someday a boy will rub his face against yours, like how Simba did to Nala in _The Lion King_!"

_Yes. Because that's what I want. To rub my face against someone else's, like cat. Sounds awesome_, Alichina thought bitterly.

"Then what are you talking about?" Alichina asked with an irritated sigh. "I was sort of busy."

"I… I don't know," Safira said, sounding insecure. "It's just that my heart is always feeling weird lately. I don't understand it. It's always beating very fast. And my stomach always feels like it's in a whole bunch of knots. I fear that I'm going to have to go to the hospital," she added seriously. "I think I'm really sick. But I'm scared to go to the doctor because I don't want to get a transplant."

Alichina rested her chin in the palm of her hand, appearing uninterested. "I dunno. Maybe it's heartburn and an upset stomach. Go have that Ootori guy buy you some Pepto-Bismol."

Safira paused. "Do you think that will help?"

"I dunno. Maybe?"

"I hope so. I'll see if he has some of that in his house. I saw the little dance thingy that they did for it on TV. It was cute! _Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, dia_-"

"Goodnight, Safira," Alichina yelled loudly over her voice. "Go take your Pepto and go to bed!"

"Okay! Goodnight! Thank yoouuu!"

"Bye."

Alichina hung up and then sighed, feeling completely worn. Just talking to that sparkling creature took a lot out of her. Sighing, she rolled over on one side as her thumb quickly went through the settings on her phone. It seemed as though some outside force were controlling her hand. She didn't know why but that night Alichina added Safira's name to her contacts list and for once, when she went to fall asleep, no images came.

~:*:~

Shugo learned that Kero was going to go to college to become an art teacher, that was, until he was sentenced here. Shugo guessed that the boy once had amazing art supplies at his fingertips, red sable brushes, watercolors, acrylics, enormous canvases. He now used whatever he could get his hands on. Shugo noticed during visitation hours he would always return with card stocks and foods that contained pigment.

Shugo watched Kero form his newest artwork, this time a picture of a beautiful girl. He used a plastic lid that was used as a covering for fast food beverages as a pallet. He mixed some red ink gleaned from a Skittle with a dab of toothpaste in the lid, and coffee with a bit of water, and then he combined them to get just the right shade of the girl's skin.

He outlined her features with a broken tip of a pencil. Her face was soft and gentle looking, with warm eyes and a mysterious little smile as if she were keeping a secret. Her hair came down a little bit passed her chest, straight as a board but also very thick looking. When he started coloring in her hair, he mixed as many primary colors as he could to create a very dark color. Shugo assumed that it was supposed to be black. Kero left some strands of hair untouched and so Shugo assumed that she had highlights or something.

It was currently three in the morning, but Shugo couldn't sleep and obviously neither could Kero. Shugo knew that Daichi would return the next morning and they would have to share their cell with him once again. The very thought made Shugo sear with anger.

"I didn't do it. I never killed you."

Until now, it had been silent almost all night. Kero's words seemed like they were hard for him, each word like a mountain he had to bring forth. Shugo wondered who he was having a conversation with at this time of night.

"Um. Are you okay?" Shugo inquired curiously from the top bunk. He didn't sit up or try to look at Kero, staring only up at the ceiling.

Kero hesitated. His tone was blemished and broken. "I didn't kill her."

Shugo was taken aback. "Who?"

"My girlfriend. I didn't do it. I didn't kill her."

Shugo hadn't forgotten that Kero had told him and Daichi that the authorities believed that he had killed his girlfriend. It was constantly hard to know who was telling you the truth in this place. In here, everyone said that they were innocent. Everyone cried on their first night, rattling the bars until their hands grew numb and their voices sore. Shugo didn't know who to believe.

"Me neither. I didn't kill anyone." Shugo replied, unsure if Kero would believe him or not. "They say that I killed my parents."

There was a beat of silence. Shugo could hear Kero placing his art down underneath his mattress, screeching like a cat. When the mattress stopped squeaking, Shugo knew that Kero had stopped moving.

"Do you see them?" Kero whispered.

"Who?" Shugo asked, shifting a little bit in his bed. He pulled the thin blanket up to his nose, scooting as close to the wall as he could possibly get. It was freezing in here. The blanket didn't seem to be helping. If anything it was colder than the cell.

"You're parents. Do you see them when you close your eyes?"

Shugo froze. Whenever he tried to sleep the same nightmare reoccurred; the image of his mother's dead body, sprawled lifeless against the kitchen floor, arms extended, fingers curled. Her pretty brown eyes were staring at the ceiling, frozen. Klaus was screaming at the top of his lungs, choking on smoke and flames. Fire was wrapping itself around him like a blanket, burning him until he turned into ash.

His dying screams… Shugo could still hear them.

"Yes," he breathed his voice suddenly unsteady. "Every night."

"Me too," Kero said. "But I… I don't just see her when I sleep."

By _her_ Shugo assumed that he was talking about his girlfriend. "What do you mean?"

"I see her… I see her… right now. With my eyes wide open." Kero said, struggling to find the right words. "Sometimes when I wake up, I feel her wings hovering over me. Like a hummingbird. I feel her wings fanning across my face."

Before Shugo could respond to such an odd statement, there was a loud crash and the sound of flesh slamming into the concrete floor. Shugo scrambled over to the edge of the bunk, peering down to see what was going on.

Kero had fallen onto the ground. His eyes were rolling up into the back of his head, white and blind. His entire body was convulsing, his head smacking repeatedly against the metal pole that held up the beds frame. Shugo felt the blood in his veins turn to ice as the color of Kero's lips slowly faded from peach to blue.

"Hey!" Shugo screamed at the top of his lungs. "HEY! WE NEED SOME HELP OVER HERE!"

Prisoners within other cells started to wake up, swearing and cussing at Shugo for waking them. But then they fell silent as two officers stormed into his cell, one already kneeling in front of Kero. The officer gently tried to pull his head away from the bed so he would stop hitting his head into the bar, his eyes wide in fascination.

"He's having a seizure. Call someone!"

"We need to turn him over," someone said loudly. "On my count. One, two, three…"

Shugo could feel his entire body trembling and his heart pounding, as the EMTs came and wheeled Kero out of the cell on a gurney, a bed with restraints across the shoulders, stomach, legs and arms. It was such a terrifying sight to behold, watching someone thrash within the restraints with uncontrollable power. And even though Shugo had just met Kero, his heart went out to him as tears stung in the back of his eyes, his chest rising and falling harshly with each breath.

~:*:~

a/n: If anybody was wondering, yes, Skylar is Mea's little sister. OwO And now the Grave Digger's snatched her! Oh noes~! *runs around in circles*


	23. Red Rose Suicide

a/n: Annnnnnnnndddd guess whose back? :D

Oh, gosh. First and foremost I am so sorry how late these chapters are. I had begun writing Chapter 23 such a long time ago and then I just never finished it. College totally took of my life! AAAH! I could list all these excuses but honestly, I don't have any good ones. I've just been extremely busy. But as a way for me to apologize to you guys I'm going to post two chapters instead of one. These are not edited yet so I apologize if I'm sloppy – which I know I am! Ha ha. XD

Well. To those that may still read this – thank you! And to those who are new to my story and left me encouraging reviews/messages – thank you soo much! Basically, if I didn't have all of this encouragement then this story would have died. All of you are to thank for this story's survival. Seriously, I can't thank you enough. Sometimes your reviews make me go dance around my house like a goofball. And you know what? I don't even care. I'm just that happy. Haha. Okay, anyway I've rambled enough. Here's your Chapter 23.

**Chapter 23**

**Red Rose Suicide**

Kyouya dried his hair quickly with the use of his towel, ruffling his dark hair and forcing it to stick out in all different directions. His glasses were placed on his dresser as he reached out, searching for a comfortable shirt to sleep in. He was already wearing pajama pants. After a long hot shower, bed seemed appealing. However, he was assuming that Fuyumi must have rearranged all of his clothing again because everything was disorganized and he couldn't find what he was looking for. But Fuyumi had left a long time ago. Kyouya's only other guess, was that it had to be Safira since she was the newest addition to the staff.

Kyouya grumbled something inaudible from underneath his breath, all the while continuing to rummage through his clothes. What was it with women, always moving and rearranging everything? Why couldn't they just leave everything alone?

"Kyouya, I was wondering…. Do you have any –" Safira stopped mid-sentence, her voice dying in her throat. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of him without his shirt. Kyouya stared blankly as a faint squeak was emitted from her throat, tossing herself clumsily out of his room. Despite how fast she was moving Kyouya could still see the evident redness in her cheeks. He arched an eyebrow, clearly confused as to why he had received such a reaction.

He finally found a regular black T-shirt and threw it over his head. With a small sigh, he followed Safira, finding her in the hallway with her eyes covered and her face still burning. To his surprise, Kyouya felt himself give a slight laugh.

"What are you doing?"

Safira blushed harder. "I – I don't want to see you indecently! I'm sorry to have intruded!"

"You saw me without it on before," he insisted, remembering her fist night at the estate. That time he hadn't received any sort of reaction. Kyouya paused before reaching his hands up to her face, prying them away from her eyes. Firmly but also gently, he was easily able to pull them away, only to find that had she squeezed her eyes shut. If it hadn't been for her flushed cheeks, she would have reminded him of a five year old shielding her eyes from a scary movie.

"You can open your eyes," Kyouya said with a sigh. "I have a shirt on now."

Safira peaked one eye open as if to make sure he was telling her the truth. When she saw that he was fully clothed she gave a goofy, but relieved smile. "Oh, okay! Yay! Kyouya has clothes on!"

Kyouya sighed, deadpanned. "Right. Well what is it that you were looking for? You were asking if I had something?"

"Oh, right!"

He was taken aback when she suddenly frowned, indicating that she was serious about something. She exhaled sharply and Kyouya could hear her breath shaking.

"Okay. Before I say anything, you have to promise that you won't take me to the hospital afterwards."

Now it was his turn to frown. Kyouya tried to ignore the strange protective alarms that were going off in his head, his jaw suddenly very tight. "And why would I need to do that?"

Safira placed a hand over her chest. Never in his life had he seen her so serious. The frown and lack of light in her eyes were features that were foreign on her face. Her gaze was locked directly onto him. He could tell that something was worrying her. But what? Kyouya didn't even realize that his pulse had quickened.

"Because," she began softly. "I… don't want a heart transplant."

The statement caught him off guard. "Wait. What?"

"At the hospital. They might take out my heart and give me a new one. I don't want that to happen. I'd like to keep my own heart, if that's possible."

"Why are you even considering the idea of a heart transplant in the first place?"

"Because my heart hurts and that might mean that there's something wrong with it. So instead of taking me to the hospital, I was wondering if Kyou-chan had any Pepto-Bismol."

Kyouya stared at Safira as if she had bugs crawling out of her ears, utterly taken aback by such an unusual request. "_What? _Why? Are you sick?"

"I – I think so!" she sputtered. "My stomach is twisted in knots and my heart is going crazy! China-chan said that I might have heartburn and indigestion."

He gazed at her strangely.

"Pepto…. Bismol?" he repeated slowly as if to make sure he had heard her correctly. "You're asking me for… Pepto-Bismol?"

Safira nodded.

Kyouya placed his hand over Safira's forehead, checking her temperature. She _was_ a little warm. His eyebrows knitted into a distinguished concern, pulling his hand back down to his side. Was it just him or did her face seem redder?

"There's some on the top shelf in the bathroom," he sighed. "Just take one spoonful. And don't spill." He didn't want globs of pink liquid on his bathroom floor. That would just be disgusting. "If you do, pick it up."

"Thank you Kyou-chan!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

~:*:~

"I told you!" Dr. Taylor snapped angrily. "I was in surgery until two thirty in the morning. I came home and hour later and I found my wife knocked out on the floor and my daughter was gone! Don't you get it? She's been kidnapped!"

Detective Keiji Hokkaido frowned, swiftly jotting notes down in his handheld note pad. "I understand that, Dr. Taylor. What I need to know is if there would be any reason for somebody to kidnap your daughter. Has anyone been acting strange around you lately? Unusual behavior? Threats? Blackmail?"

Christian shook his head, distraught. "No!" his voice cracked as if he had just hit puberty all over again. "No one has been treating me or my family any differently. We were happy. We were _fine_. I don't… I don't understand…"

"And you say that you have another daughter, correct?" he asked. "Her name is Amyea Taylor?"

"Yes," Christian breathed. "But she's been in Haiti for the past few months. She's on a mission's trip with our church. She's supposed to return home next month."

Keiji lifted his head, interested. "Really? What does she do for school?"

Christian took in another shuddering breath, his eyes still filled with tears. "She's been taking online courses. This has been something that she's wanted to do ever since she was fourteen years old. Our mother and I had to let her do it."

The detective nodded his head. "How have you two been staying in touch?"

"Email."

"You've never talked to her on the phone?"

"Mea always says that she's too busy or that there's no signal."

Keiji nodded to his assistant, telling him to get Mea's pastor up on the phone. His expression read that he didn't care if Mea's father just said that he couldn't get a signal through – try anyway. The man nodded in return, searching through his laptop for the number.

"Your daughter – the older one. What's she like?" he asked, buying time for his assistant.

Dr. Taylor drew in a deep breath. "Mea? She's a sweet girl but… well. I know my daughter. She can be a bit sarcastic sometimes and maybe even a bit stubborn… Gets real fiery when she's mad. But she's a good girl. Gets good grades. Doesn't smoke or drink… loves animals… has a good friend… I love her with everything."

The detective nodded his head, making sure to write down the important stuff. If what the doctor was saying was true then Mea didn't sound like someone who could easily make enemies. But if she was sarcastic and stubborn…

"Did she have any enemies at school? Someone who might have threatened to take Skylar?"

The doctor scratched the top of his head, frowning. "Not that I'm aware of, no." He paused and then something seemed to come to mind. "Wait – no. There was someone. A girl named Karin. From what I gathered she started some pretty nasty rumors about one of her friend's."

Keiji froze at the name. His eyes slowly rose up to the doctor's. Could it just be a coincidence that she had the same name as his deceased niece?

"Really," he began slowly. "What kind of rumors?"

Dr. Taylor shrugged. "Mea said that Karin started these rumors about her best friend at school. Saying stuff like…"

He raised his eyebrows. "Like…?"

Keiji could tell that Christian didn't really want to repeat what his daughter had told him. He wasn't comfortable with saying it but seeing as it might be vital, he gave in.

"She called her a dyke because she wouldn't go on dates with anyone at school. People would ask her out but I guess that she just didn't like them or maybe she was just shy. I guess Karin didn't get that, so she made up rumors that Mea's friend was a lesbian. Really got to her friend I guess." Christian folded his arms across her chest. "My wife was called to the school because Mea attacked Karin due to the rumors."

Keiji paused. He hadn't written down anything since Dr. Taylor had begun telling the story.

"Apparently, Karin shut up for a while. But it was too late. The rumors had already spread in the school like wildfire. Everyone was making fun of her."

The detective gave a curt nod, clicking his pen with his thumb. He looked at the doctor strangely, trying to absorb this new information.

"This friend of Mea's," he said. "Does she have a name?"

Christian opened his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off by Keiji's assistant. His eyes were wide and his lips were taut. By the look on his face, Keiji knew that whatever he had just heard on the phone was completely different from whatever Dr. Taylor had just told them. His assistant handed the phone over to him.

"I got in touch with the pastor. He's on the line."

Keiji felt his pulse quicken as he took the phone. His assistant's eyes moved edgily from face to face. Dr. Taylor's brows furrowed.

"Apparently," he said. "Mea never got on the plane."

~:*:~

"My beautiful, princesses! The Host Club is proud to announce that we will be hosting a party! And not just any party. It shall be a dance that those of you shall never forget!"

Tamaki's voice rang loudly over the intercom. Girls instantly began squirming inside their desks, turning to each other animatedly, giggling and squealing with delight.

"It will take place at the end of midterms. The Host Club will be deciding on the theme and will also be decorating the ballroom. Come dressed in your best, ladies and gentlemen! The Host Club hopes to see you all there!"

Alichina groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. That guy was always so loud. So irritating. Why did he always insist on turning everyplace he went into a stage? It just didn't make sense. How could anyone be so dramatic _all the time_?

_Its okay_, Alichina thought to herself. _Your death is approaching soon. You won't have to worry about these ridiculous people anymore. Just breathe. You can get through this for today. Just relax._

"ELLO CHINA-CHAN!"

Alichina's usual calm exterior was shattered, jumping in her seat and releasing a little scream. Shocked, she whirled her head around coming face to face with Safira, who was standing beside her desk. She waved to her, as if they were two football fields apart.

"I'm sorry, China-chan. Did I scare you?"

The zombie sighed, resting her forehead in her palm. "Just a little."

Safira looked saddened by this. "I'm sorry, China-chan! I didn't mean it – honest! I just really wanted to tell you about this thingy happening after school today! A bunch of us are gonna get together to play _Go Fish_ at the Host Club. Do you wanna play too?"

_Go Fish? I haven't played that since I was like five!_

"Thanks, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to pass," she said. "I have an important thing that I must see to after school."

Safira tilted her head to the side, blinking. "Oh, really? What's that?"

Alichina's thoughts raced for some kind of quick, lame excuse. She couldn't just come out and tell her that she was planning on committing suicide.

"I have a favorite TV show." she lied swiftly.

"Really? Cool! What show do you watch?"

Alichina had to suppress a cry, balling her fists in frustration. Wasn't this girl ever quiet?

"I… uh… I watch…"

She thought of the first thing that came to her mind. And once it escaped from her lips, she wished that she could suck the word back into her mouth. But it was too late. It was already out in the air.

"Glee."

Safira stared. "Glee?"

"Uh-huh. Love it." Alichina said, not sounding the least bit enthused. "Yeah. Go Glee Club…"

Suddenly, Safira's face broke up into an enormous grin that reached her eyes. The blonde squealed, jumping up and down with excitement.

"REALLY? I LOVE THAT SHOW! I'M A TOTAL GLEEK!"

_You've got to be kidding me_.

"Abella and I watch it all the time!"

_Abella? Isn't that her fairy-pipsqueak-hummingbird?_

"Excuse me. Is there a problem over here?"

Alichina turned her head to see Kyouya Ootori. He came and positioned himself from behind Safira, crossing his arms and shifting his eyes between the two of them. He must have sensed Alichina's rage and decided to come over just in case if Alichina were to attack Safira or something. Honestly, that was very tempting right now.

Safira smiled warmly, turning to face him. "Oh, yes. All is just peachy! Alichina-chan likes Glee! But sadly, her love for Glee is keeping her away from the wondrous game of _Go Fish_."

Kyouya's eyes narrowed, suspicious. A smug sort of smile flitted over his lips and he leaned one hand against her desk. Alichina looked up at him with a frown.

"Then you will be glad to know, Hisakata-san, that Glee will be on tomorrow. Not tonight."

Alichina felt as though someone had just knocked the wind out of her. She moaned, her body flying forward and her head landing directly atop of her desk. The impact caused a small 'clank' but she showed no signs of being injured. Her arms fell limp at her sides, resembling a broken puppet. Couldn't a girl kill herself in peace? Why was everything going so wrong?

"Oh…" she mumbled into the wood. Meanwhile Safira was jumping up and down with joy, clapping her hands like an excited child at the gates to Walt Disney World.

"This is going to be so much fun!" she cheered.

_Kill me now._

"I'll see you after school then, right China-chan?"

"Yeah. Whatever."

~:*:~

Kyouya looked quite bored as he jotted down the notes from the whiteboard. His cheek was cupped lazily in one hand and his eyes seemed like they were glazed over with Xanax. Today's session was extremely boring. They were in Literature class and Sensei was going over a book that he had already read. Kyouya had to fight with himself to stay awake. He had gotten very little sleep last night and hearing the teacher's low, drawled out tone about Cathy and Heathcliff from _Wuthering Heights,_ only made him want to return to sleep.

But Sensei's voice slowly began to fade. It steadily grew into a faint hum and Kyouya turned his eyes away, drawing his attention to someplace else. Safira was sitting not too far away. Despite how bored he was, she looked quite interested in the lesson. Her body was bent over her notebook and she was scribbling down notes in almost a furious manner. Kyouya could make out a faint furrow in her brow and her lips pressed together tightly. That stuffed octopus that Fuyumi had won for her was almost falling out of her bag. He could see its face peering at him. Kyouya repressed a snort. Why did she feel the need to bring that thing with her to school? She wasn't a baby anymore.

_Her hair is up today_, Kyouya realized. He stared at her for a few minutes, his eyes fluttering over her small frame. _It looks… nice._

_Ugh! No it doesn't! Shut up, Kyouya! Stop looking at her – close your eyes!_

_Man_. _You really _are_ horrible,_ the dragon laughed. _You're acting like you just cast your eyes upon something evil. It's a _girl_. You don't have to gouge your eyes out just because you think that she's pretty_.

_I don't think that she's pretty._ Kyouya argued.

_You're an awful liar. _

_And you're annoying. Leave me alone._

It was then did Kyouya feel something bounce gently off of his forehead. He blinked stupidly, lifting his head up to see that a small crumpled up note on his desk and an idiotic Tamaki. The blonde quickly turned around and tried not to act conspicuous.

Kyouya huffed out a sigh and then carefully opened it, revealing Tamaki's long and elegant script.

_Are you going to ask anyone to the dance?_

Kyouya almost growled at the paper. Why would he? His pen flew swiftly across the paper once Sensei's back was turned.

_I don't see a need to ask anyone. Besides, I thought that we would have to serve our guests at the dance. In any case, stop writing me. Pay attention._

Kyouya skillfully tossed the note over to Tamaki. The teacher was still writing on the board so it was simple enough to slip the message by unnoticed. Kyouya was hoping that Tamaki would leave him alone after his reply but unfortunately, he could already see him jotting something down. In a few seconds Tamaki turned and flew the note back at him.

You would only have to serve the guests if you didn't bring anyone. And I figured that you would want to ask Safira-chan because you're in love with her.

Kyouya's mouth twisted into a snarl. His back curved over the desk and he wrote so furiously that the paper actually ripped a little bit.

_I am _**NOT**_ in love with Safira! _

After wadding it up and then chucking it with all of his strength into Tamaki's fat-blonde-head, Tamaki let out a tiny yelp. His friend turned and picked the note up from off the floor, shooting Kyouya an irritated look.

It only took a few seconds before he received the note once again.

_Ok, ok. Fine. So you're not in love with her. But I still think that you should ask her if she would want to go. It would be fun and I'm sure that somewhere far, far away in Safira's sad little mind, contains a memory of an elegant dance party! Since Safira is a princess, it is a given that she must love to waltz in the arms of handsome gentlemen. Like ourselves._

Kyouya rolled his eyes and then grumbled something incoherent. He was about to reply when his pen fell still in his hand. He reread Tamaki's words and realization hit him like cool water. Even though Kyouya could never imagine Safira dancing with a man, in her past, she might have. She might have danced with a lot of men.

Or even… just one man.

Safira could have had a boyfriend. No. _What if she still did? _What if she had a boyfriend and he was out looking for her? What if they were in love?

For the first time in his life, Kyouya felt the cold stab of jealousy. It stabbed him straight through his heart and seemed to be spreading. His eyes flickered towards Safira and his chest constricted painfully.

There was no way that he could ask her. Even if he had been considering it in the first place… Kyouya couldn't make her betray someone she might be in love with.

With a sigh, he wrote his reply.

_I am not going to ask her. If she wants to go she can come. But I'm not bringing her_**.**

~:*:~

"Ok, so we have everything all set. All we need now is an approximate age."

Lily scooted up a little farther in her seat so that she could read over Shion's shoulder. Shion was busying herself over her laptop, her eyes abnormally large from behind her circled-shaped-glasses. Uriah snorted.

"This is never going to work," he said. "Lily could never pass as a twelve year old kid. How is she supposed to travel to Italy alone?"

Shion rolled her eyes. "Like I said before, Uriah; some airlines allow kids to travel by themselves as little as five years old."

"But she can't go by herself!" he argued defensively. "What if some creeper tries to do something to her? What if they're terrorists onboard? What if the engine dies? What if there's a storm and the plane gets stuck by lightning? What if the landing gear falls off? What if the plane has people with the Swine Flu? What if –"

Uriah was cut off by Shion smacking him upside the head. The boy yelped in surprise.

"Stop it. You're acting you're her husband. Keep it up and you're gonna give yourself an ulcer."

Uriah's cheeks turned as red as beets. He sucked in a sharp breath, appalled. "I-I am NOT acting like that! I'm just worried about the plane!"

"Sure, sure…"

"Shut up!"

Lily did not seem to be paying attention to Shion and Uriah. Though they were both still talking their voices sounded merely like background noise to her ears. Lily's eyes remained focused on the ticket price of 58,542 yen and her mind was still trying to wrap around several things at once: how she was going to pay for this trip, what would happen when Hashimoto realized that she was gone, and how she would find Shugo's birth father when she got there.

"I can't do it."

The two of them stopped arguing almost immediately. Shion turned, her eyebrows raised so high that they almost disappeared into her hairline.

"What did you say?"

Lily's hands balled into fists. She wished that she could meet Shion's gaze but the young child felt too ashamed. Instead, she lowered her head and allowed her silky blonde hair to curtain her face.

Her heart was racing far too quickly.

"I – I can't!" Lily managed to gasp. Tears were forming from behind her eyes. Her heart rate was rising faster. Her chest was starting to hurt. "I – I can't go all alone! I'll finally get to Italy and I won't be able to find him! I – I just know it!"

Shion's face smoothed. Uriah looked like he wanted to try to do something to comfort her but he was too much of a little kid to even know where to start. Shion offered the younger child a slight smile and placed her arm around Lily's shoulders, pulling her close to her side.

"Now, c'mon. I'm not _really _gonna let you go all alone."

Lily felt her heart give a strange little jolt before it begun to slow. She hiccupped and quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"W-what do you mean?"

Shion grinned. "You're only eight years old. When you finally got to Italy, the airline staff would quickly discover that no adult would be waiting for you. So that means you need adult supervision… yeah?"

Lily stared up at her with large eyes before a smile broadened her face. The little girl bolted up in the chair so fast that Shion almost fell over in her own chair.

"You mean that you're gonna come with?"

Shion laughed almost nervously. "Well, duh. I'm too afraid to leave the likes of you by yourself off in Europe."

Lily squealed and threw her arms around Shion's neck. It looked more of like a headlock from the weird position that the two of them were in and Lily was squeezing her so tightly that in the end, Shion was gasping for breath and her glasses were askew.

"Thank you so much, Shion! EEEE! I can't believe it! I can't believe that you're going with me!"

Uriah watched as the girl squealed and then ran out the door. Shion sighed, straightening her glasses and then continuing to write something on the computer. The boy smirked, using the back of her chair as an armrest.

"You really didn't plan on going, did you?"

Shion's jaw gave a small tweak. "Not in the slightest."

"It's those eyes," he reasoned. "Those green eyes just tug at your heartstrings, don't they?"

~:*:~

"Hah! Yes! I win! UNO!"

Kaoru gritted his teeth while Hikaru tugged on his hair. Their faces resembled angry tigers.

"Safira," Hikaru began slowly. "How many times do we have to tell you? There is no _UNO _in _Go Fish_!"

"Oh. Right." Safira tried to appear determined. Like she could really win this thing. "In that case – uhh – Full House, boys! Yeah! Hand over the goods!"

"Safira! You only have one card left! How can you have a full house? And there isn't even a Full House in this game!"

"Oh. Uhhh. Okay. How about… checkmate?"

"_There is no checkmate in Go Fish!_"

"Weee! King Me fellas!" Honey cheered, throwing all of his cards up like confetti. "Usa-chan and I wiiiinn!"

Mori nodded. "Yeah."

"NO! THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!"

Safira smiled, completely overjoyed about Honey's 'victory'. "Aw, congratulations, Honey-senpai! You deserved to win!"

"Thank you!"

"Don't you idiots get it?" Kaoru demanded. "No one's even won yet!"

"Nuh-uh. Honey, just won." Safira pointed to him. "Remember?"

"No he didn't," Hikaru snapped. "He just won because he said that he won. This isn't Checkers! You can't shout out 'King Me' in Go Fish!"

"Be silent, all of you! Since I am also playing that makes me the king of Go Fish. Now, Kaoru, surrender your Nemo cards and put them in my hand. The hand that belongs to the King!"

Kaoru rested his chin in his hand, glaring. "I might just do that, if I actually _had_ any Nemo cards. Go Fish, Tamaki."

A strange sound emitted from Tamaki's throat. It sounded like a mixture between a scream and a gasp. His violet eyes expanded, jaw dropping wide open. "Y-You can't be serious!"

"Oh, but I am. Now Go Fish."

Brooding, the blonde reached inside the deck and added one more into his hand. His shoulders were hunched as his eyes shifted from each of his cards, obviously trying to come up with some sort of strategy. Kyouya smiled thinly, shifting his glasses just a tiny bit.

"Tamaki," he said smoothly. "Would you mind handing over your Nemo cards?"

"WHAT?"

"Your Nemo cards. Unless if I am mistaken, you just asked Kaoru for his, so that indicated to me that you are more than likely have some." Kyouya reached out his hand. "As rules of the game, you are compelled to oblige to my request."

A low growl ripped from Tamaki's throat as he practically slammed the cards into his hand. A satisfied smirk ran across Kyouya's face, setting down all of his pairs of Nemo's. "Now then. Hikaru – do you have any Dorey's?"

Hikaru blinked. Then he rolled his eyes, handing over his cards with the little blue fish on it. Safira clapped her hands in delight.

"Good job, Kyou-chan! You're on a roll!"

"Thank you."

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other. The corners of their lips lifted into identical grins.

"Kyou-chan, eh?" they said. They both turned to look over at Kyouya, their eyes glinting mischievously. "Since when did she start calling you that, eh Senpai? Is it okay if we call you Kyou-chan too?"

Kyouya stared at them from above his glasses, unamused. When _had_ she started calling him that? Honestly, he had become so comfortable with her presence that he must not have noticed. In any case, this was troublesome_. Nicknames_ were troublesome. A nickname meant that they were drawing closer. Friends gave each other nicknames, boyfriend's and girlfriends gave each other nicknames. That meant that they were drawing closer. And he could not allow himself to draw closer to her. If he became too close then who knows what might happen.

_Uh, I don't mean to like – point out the obvious or anything – buuutt. She's been living with you for how long? In my honest opinion, I say that you guys are far beyond the line of 'closeness', buckaroo._

Kyouya resisted the urge to smack his own head as to silence that pestering dragon. One of these days, he was really going to have to slay that thing.

_Shut up, before I drive a javelin through your heart, you dumb lizard._

The dragon gasped. _Now that's just rude. I am not flippin' _Mushu_ for crying out loud! You better watch what you say, bucko._

_Right. Puff the Magic dragon, most likely. And stop calling me names like buckaroo and bucko. It's ridiculous._

The dragon snorted. _I'll have you know that I am a furious, fire-breathing dragon, created by the figment of your imagination and fed by your jealousy, lust, and rage. And oh, I'm so sorry. It's just that we're so _close_ I thought that it would be okay if we started using nicknames for each other. You know. Like you and Safira. I have the perfect nickname for her that you can use. 'My darling.' Just rolls off the tongue, don't you agree?_

_I bet that even The Reluctant Dragon could take you on. And be quiet. I am not jealous, nor do I lust for anyone. And considering my hate for you, nicknames are not welcomed between us – nor is the name 'my darling' for Safira. _

_Ah. So if you liked me _then_ I could call you bucko? So by saying that, you admit that it's okay for Safira to give you a nickname, considering that you harbor no hate for her._

Kyouya was just about to argue back when the twins pulled him back down to reality. They were both reaching across the table and waving their hands in front of his face. Instinctively, he pulled his face away from their waving palms.

"Where the heck did you go, Kyou-chan?" Hikaru teased. "You seemed like you were really thinking hard about something."

"Yeah. Tell us what were you thinking about?" Kaoru smiled. "Must've been good if you couldn't even hear us talking to you, Kyou-chan."

Kyouya rolled his eyes. "Unless if the two of you want me to call up the Ootori Private Police Force, and request them to bring the dogs to Room 3, then you will refrain from calling me that name."

Hikaru and Kaoru instantly stiffened; they hadn't forgotten the incident with the dogs in The Shire. And apparently, neither had Safira.

"Ohh! The dogs might come? That's wonderful! I think that I must have missed them the last time they came over," she said. "You never did answer me, Kyou-chan. What kind of dogs do you have?"

Honey must have been a bit on the slow side as well because he suddenly smiled and said: "Can your dogs eat cake, Kyou-chan? It would be rude to have them come over without offering them cake!"

_Uggghhh…_

"Hey, how come Safira and Honey can call you Kyou-chan, but we can't?" Hikaru demanded. "That's just not even fair!"

"Haruhi, come take my place." Kyouya growled. "I have to go do something."

Haruhi, who had been busying herself with her homework, glanced up at his request. She was sitting at a separate table from the rest of the club with papers sprawled out in front of her. She frowned, tapping her pencil against one of her books.

"What? Why? I don't even like that game."

But Kyouya didn't seem to care. He walked over to her and handed her his deck, and then walked directly towards the doors. Safira and Tamaki stared after him curiously.

"W-wait! Mommy, where are you going?"

Kyouya rolled his eyes. "I do not see how that is any of your concern."

And with that the doors shut tightly from behind him.

~:*:~

There are certain things in this world that Alichina would not miss when she crossed over to the other side. Actually, there were many things that she absolutely could not stand.

Crabs, lobsters, spiders and anything else with too many legs. It just wasn't natural.

Annoying fan girls giggling in the hallway that sent hopeful glances to Tamaki.

Tamaki talking loudly in class and disturbing (a) her plans to leave the world and (b) her homework. With his fat mouth babbling in her ear all day, how was she supposed to concentrate on suicide? Let alone school.

The days when Tamaki had sparkles around his face. How was a suicide letter supposed to be depressing if it had _glitter_ on it? Alichina decided that it was best to not write those in school anymore. Besides, trying to figure out how his face randomly exploded into stars just gave her a headache.

The Host Club.

Tamaki.

Safira's stupid humming bird, that chirped every so often in class.

Tamaki.

Safira hugging her randomly in the hallway or in class. You would think that a girl like Safira would be pretty weak. But no. Alichina was pretty sure that the girl had given her a few bruises. All out of love, of course.

Safira singing in the halls or anywhere near her.

Safira AND Honey signing in the halls or anywhere near her.

Tamaki.

Nicknames like "Mochaccina," "Accina," and "Mocha-choca-chan" all invented by those stupid twins.

The color yellow. It made her feel on edge for no apparent reason, and she always thought of giant McDonald's signs and greasy food. She didn't wear black to school for a statement; she wore it because she refused to put on such a tacky, annoying color.

Tamaki's hair. Because it's blonde and that was in the yellow _family_.

Safira and Honey's hair, which was also blonde.

Corn Flakes.

Coming home to an empty house everyday.

Never having to get her hopes up when her mother said that she would come home, only to find that she couldn't get a flight out to Japan for another two weeks.

Safira.

The visions.

No longer having those visions would be the highlight about taking her life. After today she wouldn't have to hear the victims of the Grave Digger inside her head. Their dying screams would finally not be able to haunt her.

As Alichina made her way up the stairs she knew exactly what she was going to do. Everything was so clear. So simple. She felt as if she were being guided. Like there was some kind of invisible spirit leading her up towards the roof where the pool was located. All of her energy felt useless against it. She wouldn't deny that she was scared. Her breathing became more frequent the higher she climbed. She could feel her heart rate accelerating. Was it just her or did everything suddenly begin to look a lot darker? She felt darker – the very air was toxic.

She vaguely remembered when Safira had invited her to play _Go Fish_ with her after school. She wondered if Safira would come looking for her when she realized that she wasn't coming or if she would just assume that she went home. Alichina was surprised to feel hot tears slip soundlessly down her face.

Why was she crying? She should be happy about this. This is what she had been wanting for days now. This is what she had been putting so much thought and effort into. She couldn't back out now.

The door opened easily; the janitors always forgot to lock it. When she stepped out the first thing that she noticed was the sunlight. It was so bright that it almost blinded her and Alichina had to shield her eyes with her hand. She hissed, sounding like an irritated vampire. Why did it have to be so bright and cheery on a day like today? A day when she was supposed to be leaving. Black clouds and rain would have been more appropriate.

She walked up to the edge of the pool and stared down at her reflection. The skin around her eyes was practically black. Sleep had been a less frequent thing these days. The sun was both making her look pale and forcing her to squint.

How long would it take to loose consciousness?

Ah, yes. Two to three minutes.

Five or ten to die.

When would someone find her? A few minutes after her death? An hour? More? But as Alichina sipped off her shoes, she decided that it didn't matter.

No one at the school would care. When she was gone people would be happy. She was someone who nobody wanted to see.

Ever again.

a/n: In case if anyone was wondering, they are playing Go Fish with Finding Nemo cards. Just to clarify, haha. :)


	24. Baby, Will You Catch Me?

**Chapter 24**

**Baby, Will You Catch Me?**

_Dad,_

_I'm doing good. The Haitians have made a lot of really cool things for me. Necklaces and skirts, that kind of stuff. It's really bad here but I'm glad to be helping out. How's Skylar and mom doing? Send them my love. Hope to hear from you soon._

_Love,_

_Mea_

There. That seemed believable enough didn't it?

Without taking the time to read it over he pressed the send button and the email was gone. He wondered when her dad would see it next. He always replied quickly to his emails and never once had he questioned if he was really talking to Mea. That was the great thing about the internet. There was no need for face-to-face interaction. It was so easy to fool people. What he loved about this was that he had time to think over what he was going to say, how he was going to say it, and if it sounded like it would come out of Mea's mouth.

But he wasn't a fool. No, he knew that his would be a tricky matter. The police would easily be able to track the emails from his computer if they were to ever find out that Mea never actually boarded the plane. That was why he never got onto the same computer twice. He went to libraries, computer labs, anywhere where a different computer was accessible. He never, ever, used his own computers to send Mea's father the emails. And he never, used the same computer twice.

The kid was still in his car. She was in the trunk and he had used a rope to tie her up, and put duct tape on her mouth. She would probably still be knocked out, but if that kid was anything like her older sister, she was sure to put up a fight.

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

There was no way that Mea could deny him those files now.

He would find his little pet sure enough…

~:*:~

_I am not in love with her. I am not in love with her. I repeat. I. Am. Not. In. Love. With. HER!_

_Ooohhh, very convincing. _Kyouya could practically feel the dragon rolling its eyes. _You had me persuaded at the fifteenth "I'm not in love with her."_

_Shut up. Or I'll shoot your eye out._

_Well then in that case, you are definitely_ _not getting an air rifle for Christmas._

_I mean it!_

_I'm shaking in my boots._

_Dragons don't wear boots._

_Shut up._

Kyouya was feeling slightly proud for finally outsmarting the dragon, but his ego was quickly deflated when he realized that he was still pacing inside the restroom.

In all actuality, he had no business at all to take care of inside the boy's lavatory. When he left the Host Club, he hadn't thought about where he was going to go. All he knew was that he was running out of answers for the twins. Sure, he was used to their constant teasing. But it was usually Tamaki who was the butt of their jokes and ever since Safira came barging into his life, the questions had been nonstop. Yet, it wasn't the joking around or the questions that were _really_ bothering him – it was the fact that he was running out of excuses. And that he just didn't know how to answer.

He was grumbling to himself as he walked over to the sink to wash his face. For some reason, thinking about the earlier incident was making his skin burn. The water felt cool against his skin, rubbing his eyes from under his glasses.

_I need to get back out there before Tamaki comes looking for me_.

He could just imagine that idiot making a dramatic entrance into the boy's bathroom and demanding an explanation. But that wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen. No, the worst thing that could happen would be if Safira were to come along with him. She'd probably follow Tamaki straight into the boy's bathroom without even realizing that she wasn't supposed to be in it. What would happen next? Embarrassment, you ask? No. As a matter of fact, this is exactly what would happen:

Safira: Kyou-chan! There you are! We've been looking all over for you and – oh! What are these? Water fountains?

Kyouya: Safira, you're not supposed to be in here.

Safira: How come we don't have water fountains in our bathroom?

Kyouya: Those are not water fountains…

Safira: It's weird to have them all lined up against the wall like this though… And why are they turned off?

And for about fifteen minutes, she would continue to think that the urinals were fountains, and Kyouya would have to drag her outside before someone actually came in to _use_ them.

She was such a ditz. Naïve. Stupid. A complete and utter, nuisance.

And yet, despite all of these truths, he still hadn't moved. He was still arguing with his feelings and running out of ways to deny them.

~:*:~

"Senpai, where do you think Kyouya went?"

"How should I know?" Tamaki wailed. "Apparently, it's _none of my concern!_"

Ever since Kyouya left the room, Tamaki had taken up his usual dark corner in the back. Apparently, 'Mommy's' words had driven the Host King to sprout mushrooms from his flesh. Haruhi was still trying to figure out how that was humanly possible but realized that thinking about it only gave her a headache. Actually, this whole day was giving her a headache.

"Milord, if you're not gonna play then we're giving your spot to Mori-senpai," Hikaru said. He leaned a little in his chair, rocking it on its back legs. "Are you _suuuure_ that you don't wanna play anymore?"

Tamaki's only response was to pluck a mushroom out of his shoulder.

"I'll take that as a no."

Haruhi sighed. "Alright then. I guess I'll… uh … continue from where he left off." She glanced over to Safira, who didn't seem to be all quite there. She was staring down at her deck of cards and there was a wrinkle between her eyebrows.

Haruhi wasn't an idiot. And neither was the rest of the Host Club – well, maybe Tamaki but that was despite the point. Everyone could tell how Kyouya and Safira felt about each other, except for Kyouya and Safira. For whatever reason Kyouya was in denial about the whole thing and Safira didn't realize her feelings. At least, that's what it seemed like. How much longer they could go like this? Most people would have definitely given in by now.

"Safira, do you have any Bruce cards?" she asked.

Safira lifted her head. She smiled quickly and then shook her head. "Go fish, Haru-chan."

Not really caring if she won or lost this game, Haruhi picked up a card. It ended up being Marlin instead of Bruce.

She really hoped that Kyouya would come back soon. Haruhi still had to finish up her book report and then study for Biology. Just then someone entered the room. Haruhi looked up quickly, hoping that she would be able to stop playing now. But her hopes were all in vain. It was just a janitor. She had noticed that Safira had looked up once the doors opened too.

And like her, was also disappointed.

"Hey, Safira-chan. Did you lock up the doors to the pool?" he asked, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. "The Chairman has been complaining about people going up there after school."

Safira's cheeks turned crimson. "Aah! I'm sorry! I-I'll go do it right now! I'm so sorry!" she scrambled out of her chair so quickly that she almost knocked over the table.

The janitor raised his palm. "No need to get all panicky. Just thought I'd remind you. It's really not that big of a deal. People forget all the –"

But Safira didn't seem to hear him. She darted right past him and practically knocked the door down in the process. Haruhi stared. For such a tiny person, she sure was fast. The janitor's mouth was still open and his hand was still raised. He slowly turned around, wide eyed. And then he let out a low whistle.

"That little lady sure is quick, ain't she? I wonder if she even remembered the keys."

And sure enough, she hadn't. Haruhi noticed them sitting on top of her bag. Surprisingly, the hummingbird wasn't with her today. Haruhi released a something that sounded like the cross between a sigh and a groan. She reached for the keys and stood up.

"Guess I'll go get these to her."

~:*:~

Now that Alichina was about to die, none of the answers were clear to her.

Should she jump? Just dive straight in and stay under? Or step in and slowly disappear?

She hadn't really thought that far through. What would be better? A swan dive? A cannonball?

She had written a note. It was clutched in her sweaty fist. What should she do with it? If she left it out of the water then the wind might take it. If she brought it in, then the water might wash away the ink.

Why on earth was she having doubts now? There was no way she could turn back now. Not after she came so far. Not now, not after she was standing here.

Her legs felt weak, like noodles. The sun was burning and the roof was hot from under her bare feet. Suddenly, Alichina could feel herself moving again. The invisible spirit, guide, or whatever the heck it was, lead her away from the pools edge.

Instead, she found herself standing by a ledge. The school had made a small wall around the roof's edge for the student's safety.

So that they wouldn't fall.

It was then did Alichina finally feel as if she were at peace. The air that once felt toxic to her was now calming. Soon, she was assured, everything would be over.

She climbed up on the ledge and stared down. The drop had to be way over a hundred feet. Alichina wasn't very good at measuring distances but one thing was certain; that there was no way to survive a fall like this. She could just barely see the garden down below. The fountains and the trees.

Would this be instant? She didn't know. Her research hadn't included this…

Just then she was beginning to feel dizzy. Her body was teetering, to and fro, and her mind felt jumbled. Her heart was racing and she could hardly breathe.

There was a voice. She was so sure that she had heard it. Someone calling her by her name…

But no. No one else was up here. She was finally going to go through with this. No one could stop her.

"Goodbye."

And then, Alichina leaned forward and took the plunge.

~:*:~

_Was that her just now?_

Kyouya could have sworn that he had just seen Safira. He was pretty sure that he had just seen her blonde ponytail waving before she turned a corner. She was running – no – sprinting – but to what?

It turned out that he didn't have to ponder it for very long. Haruhi was following her. She was running too but a lot slower than Safira. When she noticed Kyouya she stopped.

"And where are you going?" he asked.

Haruhi gestured towards the corner Safira disappeared around. "Someone came in and told her that she forgot to lock up the pool doors but she forgot her key." she waved them silently. The sunlight danced off the silver. "I don't think that she realized it because she was in such a panic."

Kyouya sighed. Of course, Safira would be horrified about something as trivial as forgetting to lock a door. It was a given that she would forget to pick up her keys in the process…

"Why don't you give them to me?" Kyouya asked her pleasantly. "I'll be sure to give them to her."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. She was probably wondering what kind of ulterior motive he may have had hidden underneath his sleeve. "Actually, I'm not really too keen on going back there right now," she grumbled. "I'm getting pretty sick of _Go Fish_ and Tamaki-senpai's fungus invading the floor." She raised her eyes up to his. "So I guess if you don't mind, maybe we could go together?"

~:*:~

_Gaaah! How did I forget the keys?_

Safira had successfully made it up the stairs. Her chest was rising and falling with each breath, her ponytail was a mess, and her clothes were clinging to her skin. She had been in such a panic to get upstairs that she had made it in only a few minutes. Of course, Safira wasn't exactly _graceful_ and had definitely tripped over her own two feet a few times.

There was a horrible stitch biting at her side. The blonde fell on her knees, wheezing like a chain smoker. Gosh darn it! All of that running, only to have to turn back.

_Well… I… I guess I could splash some water on my face_. Safira thought, still feeling slightly depressed that she had forgotten the keys. _I came all the way up here. It's the least I could do. _

Safira pushed herself up with a small sigh. Her heart was still racing and she wondered how long it would take before it calmed down again. Her legs felt like jello.

_Those super, speedy, incredible track runners are amazing_. _I wonder how they can go on for so long like that… They must have superpowers_. _Yes. That must be exactly it, _she decided. _I just read the biography of Spiderman-chan so I know that superpowers exist. Even Tamaki said so._

When she pushed open the door she was immediately greeted by sunlight. It was so powerful that at first, she didn't notice the person standing across from her. But when her eyes focused she saw that it wasn't just a person – she actually knew this person. There was no mistaking that black dress and violet hair. No, she recognized it all too well.

But why…

Why was she standing on the ledge?

_Oh, my gosh! No, no, no that can't be safe! That can't be safe at all! Doesn't she realize that she could fall down? She could get hurt!_

"CHINA-CCHI! BE CAREFUL!"

But Alichina was either ignoring her or didn't hear. To Safira's horror, her dear friend began to lean far too close over the ledge. She didn't know what came over her. All she knew was that she was suddenly running straight towards Alichina, instinct rushing through her entire being.

Alichina dove over the ledge – Safira lunged and leaned halfway over the wall – her hands groped blindly – she prayed to find Alichina's hand – She could hear her heart pounding in her ears…

And suddenly they were both falling.

a/n: I just realized with this chapter how rarely I write in Safira's POV. Heh. It's more difficult than I thought. It's easier describing her personality when I write as Kyouya or someone else, ha ha. Oh, well. Maybe I'll work more of her POV in there. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter. :)

Okaaay. Soo. For some reason, half of my chapter 25 is missing. So I'm going to have to dig really hard to find it or else re-write it. I'm so sorry guys. . Chapter 26 is finished… and 25 WAS finished. GRR! Anyways, I'll update you all when I can. Blessings. :]


	25. Falling Up into Tension

**Chapter 25**

**Falling Up into Tension**

"_Are you crazy?"_

_Alichina bit her lip. McKenna was staring at her as if she had just grown another head. She moved forward, took a deep breath, and tried again._

"_You have to get out of that house," she whispered. "If you don't get out of that house then… then he's going to kill you."_

_McKenna said nothing._

_It was fall at the time. It was one of their first days back in school. Colorful leaves billowed in autumn's sweet breeze. Alichina had waited all day to stop McKenna after class. To stop her from going home._

_To stop her from getting murdered…_

"_You don't even know me." McKenna readjusted the strap on her backpack. Her tone was indifferent. "How can you just come up to me and make such a serious assumption? Have you ever even _met_ him?"_

"_Well, no. But –"_

"_Then how can you say that he's a murderer?" she snapped. Her eyes were just as icy as her voice. "What kind of person says stuff like that?"_

_Alichina felt as though her mouth was filled with cotton. She tried to speak but only a faint gurgle was emitted. McKenna raised her hand, telling her that she wasn't interested in hearing anything else that Alichina had to say. Her stomach made an unpleasant swoop as she turned and walked the other way. Alichina's mind screamed at her to run after McKenna – to grab her and force her to listen. But it was as if the rest of her body had turned to stone._

_She didn't see McKenna again until the media posted pictures of her face in the newspaper. At first she was a missing person. Then she was found buried in her boyfriend's backyard. The autopsy reported that she had been stabbed multiple times beforehand, but her lungs and stomach were filled with dirt._

_Although she was unaware at the time, McKenna would be walking home straight into the arms of The Grave Digger. She would be his first victim. Alichina knew that there would be more to come. She knew because she saw his face. After McKenna's death, she always saw him in her mind. She witness him kill countless women. Saw him meditate over his ideas. Heard his crazy laughter ringing in her ears each night. He was a madman, completely controlled by his lust for blood. He grew more obsessed each time he killed another person. He liked the feeling of power that he had over them – the rush, the natural high, the thrill pulsing through him._

_But that wasn't the worst part._

_The worst part was that she knew his name._

~:*:~

It was kind of insane how two kids could fly in a plane without any parents. Honestly, Shion thought that it might have been really hard to get the tickets but everything worked out nicely. All they had to do was to steal one Hashimoto's credit cards and book their tickets online. They both had passports because Shion's real dad took her to Walt Disney World in America for vacation a few years back. But that was before Child Services took her away because they found out that her dad sold drugs for a living. Lily's parents had taken her to Germany before so that solved that whole problem.

Lily was sitting in the window seat and Shion was beside her. Next to her was this little old lady who was fast asleep. So far Lily must have drawn over five hundred pictures of pigs and cats out of boredom. That had to be the weirdest obsession ever. The cat thing she got, but pigs? Ham? Bacon? _Swine?_

"How is she? Is she doing okay?"

"Hey, what's an eight letter word for _love-struck_ and has the letter 'W' in it?"

Uriah growled. "How the heck should I know? I'm asking you how Lily's doing and you're not even answering me!"

"Obsessed? No… that's too long. Dang it. Not even a W."

"Is she there? Can I talk to her?"

"Love is too short. Adore is too short. None of them have W… hmm…" Shion shifted the phone and tried to figure out what fitted in the crossword. Lily suggested 'kittens' but that wasn't exactly helpful. "How about smitten – darn. Still no W."

"Shion, so help me, if you don't hand the phone over to Lily right now then I'll –"

"Ah-hah! I got it – _whipped!_ Hah! Perfect!"

She could practically feel Uriah turn ten shades of red through the phone. Shion could tell that she had successfully tangled his brain because there was a strange coughing noise coming from the other end. When he finally spoke again, there was a hint of aggression to his voice.

"I'm _not_ whipped. I'm just a good friend, trying to see if she's al-"

"Oh, awesome. I just found a six-letter word for _refusal to acknowledge_; it's called denial_._"

"I AM NOT IN DENIAL!"

"Oh, goodie. I'm on a roll today. D… E… N… I…"

"Would you just let me talk to her?"

Shion held back a laugh. She supposed that she had toyed around with Uriah long enough. "Here," she said as she handed the phone to Lily. "You're boyfriend is worried sick."

Lily's nose wrinkled. "What's a boyfriend?" she wanted to know.

Shion smiled and patted the top of her cute little blonde head. "Hopefully, honey, you won't have to know for a really, _really_ long time."

~:*:~

Alichina was expecting for her life to flash before her eyes; not the visions.

McKenna's final moments replayed in her mind like an old video recording.

_She never thought that it would end like this. But then again, who really does? She was going to be killed by someone she trusted – someone she loved. How did someone just turn on and off like that? One moment, they were your best friend. The next, they held your life in their hands._

"_I'm sorry… I'm sorry." The words were thick and unclear. Blood was blocking her airway and dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Don't do this… please…"_

_For a moment Alichina could see through her eyes – everything was fuzzy. The world was spinning. Something silver shimmered in the corner of her eye. He was coming closer. It was agony. Her whole body was screaming – she tried to move but the pain kept her in place. She could hear him coming closer. _

"_Stop… please, stop… Please…"_

_Why was he doing this? She wanted to know why. What made him snap so suddenly – this _was_ sudden, right? He hadn't been keeping this personality from her, had he?_

_He whispered something. She couldn't tell what it was because her pulse was hammering in her ears. And then, the knife tore through her. Her vision flashed red – then white._

_Then nothing at all._

"STOP IT!" Alichina screamed. "STOP IT! **STOP IT**!"

Alichina squeezed her eyes shut. The blood, the cries, the slashing – she just wanted it to go away. The visions drove her physically and mentally exhausted each day. Ugh - this was supposed to be _it_. This was when they were supposed to end.

So why were they still here?

And more importantly…

Why wasn't she _falling_?

"China-cchi!"

Alichina's eyes flew open. No way. It couldn't be…

"It'll be okay, Mochaccina-cchi! I'm sure that we can find a way out of this! All we gotta do is just work together, okay?"

It could. It really, really could.

Alichina closed her eyes, angry. For the love of Pete – couldn't a woman kill herself in peace?

Safira had grabbed her wrist somewhere during the fall. With her other hand, she clung onto a drain pipe. This left the both of them dangling like rag dolls, their bodies dangerously swaying against the side of the building.

"O-okay... I – I think that maybe if we work together – we could um – swing our bodies over to that window. That sounds good, right?" Safira's laugh was nervous. She was trying to remain calm but she was obviously terrified. Her eyes shifted nervously to Alichina and then back to the window, sweat beading her forehead. "We could try climbing back up but I don't think that would work too well…"

"Shut up."

"Huh?"

"Just shut up!" Alichina roared. "I'm so sick of you always being in my way – always showing up – always trying to talk to me – don't you get it? I just want to be left alone! I didn't ask for you to come here! I didn't ask for you to swoop in here and try to be a hero! I JUST WANT TO DIE WITHOUT YOU BUSTING IN AND RUINING EVERYTHING! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND LET ME DIE, YOU STUPID, STUPID GIRL! UGGGH!"

Alichina clawed at Safira's fingers. She tried to pry them off but it was useless; her grip was like iron. This only infuriated Alichina even more. She growled, scratching, biting – anything to get Safira to let go. But the girl wasn't even looking at her anymore. Instead, she remained completely focused on the nearby window, calculating how she was going to get them over there. In fact, it seemed as though she was completely ignoring her.

"LET ME GO!" Alichina commanded in a voice that boomed like thunder. "YOU STUPID GIRL! LET ME GO!"

White hot anger blinded her. Like a toddler, she began throwing a tantrum. Safira grunted and attempted to increase her hold around her wrist. All the muscles in her arm were strained as Alichina thrashed like a fish out of water. Her body swayed back and forth, forcing her and Safira to hammer against the wall.

"If you don't let me go," she warned, "then you're going to die too!"

Why was she ignoring her? After she had been coming up to her everyday, calling her in the middle of the night, and chattering endlessly – _now_ she decided not to talk to her? Well – she _did_ tell her to shut up – but that was beside the point. The idea was to die alone and if Safira didn't let go, then they were both going to die. Even though she hated her guts, she didn't want Safira to die too.

"LET. ME. GO!" Alichina seethed. "You stupid girl – let me –"

"Would you just be quiet?"

Alichina's eyes widened. She was shocked. It wasn't _what _Safira had said but _how_ she had said it. Her tone was both demanding and cold. It instantly snapped her out of her fit. She stared blankly at the sweet girl. But at the moment, she was anything but sweet. She was angry and her expression shone with authority. It was so foreign on the girl's face that Alichina could do nothing but gawk at her.

"I can't concentrate with you yelling like that," Safira said. "Even though _you_ might have wanted to die today, I personally, do not. I'm _not_ going to let you go, Alichina-san. If you don't get out of this, then neither do I. So I suggest that you start coming up with a plan that will benefit the both of us."

Alichina's eyebrow twitched.

_T-that face… that tone… why… why the heck was it so familiar? _

~:*:~

Although Safira may have appeared collected, strong, and maybe even a little bitter, on the inside she was spazzing.

She didn't know how to concentrate with Alichina yelling and screaming at her. So she did the only thing that she could do. The first thing that popped into her head – and that was to mimic Kyouya-senpai.

He was always able to get people to listen to him. And if she wanted to live, then she realized that she somehow had to get Alichina to listen to her. Safira didn't even remember half the words that came out of her mouth but at least that she had gotten Alichina to quiet down.

"Alright! Let's do this," she said, determination carving on her face.

She needed a plan. A good plan. A bold plan.

But…

How does one get out of a situation like this?

~:*:~

"Did you hear that?"

Kyouya looked over to Haruhi, puzzled. "Hear what?"

"Shh. Listen."

They both stopped halfway up the stairs. Haruhi was a few steps lower than him because he had been walking faster. Kyouya hadn't heard anything himself but he could tell by the seriousness of Haruhi's face that something wasn't right. Instead of questioning the matter, he remained quiet, straining his ears to listen.

And then he heard it – a faint yell. Words like _stupid, die _and_ let go_ were the clearest. Haruhi sent him a strange look while he remained vacant. He was pretty certain that he recognized that voice. And before anything else could be said, Kyouya was bolting up the staircase with Haruhi close behind him.

~:*:~

"All right; I saw this in Spiderman once. All we gotta do is jump up to that window and my webslingers will come out and we will swing to safety!"

Alichina could do nothing but stare. Her face held no expression and she had to wonder how Safira could joke around in a time like this. But once the little blonde began swinging her body like a pendulum Alichina realized that she was completely serious – and stupid.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "You're not _really_ Spiderman! You'll jump off and I promise you, there won't be any webslingers!"

Safira stopped all movement, looking down at Alichina as if she were crazy. "But I saw him do it!" she reasoned.

"Were you bit by a radioactive spider lately?"

"Um… no…"

"Then it's not going to work!"

Safira frowned. She searched around the building that she was clinging to, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Well then maybe one will crawl over here. What color are they so I can be on the lookout?"

_We're doomed_.

"Hey! That's dangerous!"

Both of their heads shot up at the same time. Kyouya and Haruhi both stood behind the ledge and were staring down at them. Kyouya's expression was pinched. All the color in his face was drained and his knuckles were white around the ledge. Haruhi, both surprised and afraid, leaned over the ledge a little. Her brown eyes were large.

"Be careful!" Haruhi yelled. "W-we'll think of something! Just hang on!"

"Righto, Haru-chan!"

Alichina had the feeling that Safira may have done a salute if her free hand wasn't secured around her wrist.

~:*:~

"Kyouya-senpai, what are we gonna do?" Haruhi said. "They probably can't hold on much longer – we can't reach them from here! Kyouya-senpai?"

The Shadow King did not seem to be processing Haruhi's words. It was as though his brain was filled with led and he couldn't do anything. His body was as rigid as stone and his silver eyes were bulging behind his glasses. His fingers curled tightly around the ledge. His heart was pounding in his ears, his palms immediately sweaty.

For once in his life, he was so terrified, that he didn't even know what to do.

"Kyouya-senpai!" Haruhi screamed. "Senpai, snap out of it! I know that this is scary but you have to think – if we don't do something then we're gonna lose both of them!"

Haruhi's words instantly brought him back to reality. He shook his head as if to straighten his thoughts and then looked below. Safira and Alichina were too far down for either his or Haruhi's reach. They would have to think of something different.

"Haruhi, ask Safira if she can swing Alichina hard enough so that she can grab onto the ledge herself."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you ask her?"

Kyouya didn't reply. It was as if someone had just flipped a light switch to his personality; the worry on his face was gone. He looked to be his calm and collected self again. "I have a plan," he said smoothly. And then he flipped open his phone and began dialing…

~:*:~

Safira had Alichina all figured out.

It was clear that Alichina wanted nothing more than to die at this point. If she swung her over to the ledge, Alichina wouldn't try to grab on. She'd purposely miss and then fall to her death. And Safira was not about to let that happen.

But her palms were getting sweaty. It was becoming harder to keep all of Alichina's dead weight on one arm and even harder to keep her grip on the ledge. Her fingers slipped every now and then, and she had to fight to keep them on.

Alichina closed her eyes. This is not what she wanted. She didn't want Safira to jump after her. Why couldn't it have gone like how she pictured it? Curse it all, if she had just drowned herself it would have all been over by now!

"WE'RE COMING FIRA-CHAN!"

"Eh?"

Safira and Alichina lifted their heads, looking to their right. About twelve windows across from them was Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. Mori had Honey sitting on his shoulders as he slowly tried to fit his tall frame through the window. Honey cupped his hands over his mouth:

"No worries, fellas! Just hang on a few secs longer, m'kay? We're comin'!"

Safira put on her brave face. She nodded but secretly, she knew that it was easier said than done. Both of her arms already felt like they were filled with led. Her yellow bangs were sticking to her forehead due to all the perspiration, and her racing heart wouldn't slow. Even though Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai were now crawling on top of the gutter, Safira's nerves could not settle. They seemed to be swelling up like a balloon every passing second. It wouldn't be until she was safe, until both she and Alichina were back on top of the roof, would her anxiety finally cease.

Safira lifted her face, wanting to look at something other than the possible fall below. When she did, her eyes locked directly to Kyouya's. His face remained calm but his body posture spoke otherwise. His shoulders were tense and his fingers were tightly curled around his phone. There was a hint of light behind his silver gaze that Safira had never seen before. Could it be that he was actually afraid?

All of a sudden the connection broke. Kyouya took a few steps back so that he was no longer in sight, talking swiftly into his phone. Safira felt a tight prang inside her chest. It hurt her. It hurt her to see him turn and leave her like this. Sure, Kyouya hadn't actually left the roof, but him not being in her sight seemed to only increase her fears.

"Fira-chan! _Fira-chan_!"

"Eh?"

Mori and Honey were standing on a windowsill several feet above them. Honey was dangling from Mori's arm. In a flash, Honey jumped and grabbed Safira's hand; with his other he clung onto the ledge. He tossed both of the girls up into the sky as if they were nothing but a bag of chicken feathers. Alichina screamed at the top of her lungs, absolutely terrified. Safira was also screaming, but by the thrill in her voice it sounded as if she was on a rollercoaster rather than being tossed up into the air.

They started coming back down quickly – Alichina fell directly into Mori-senpai's arms. Her violet hair was disheveled, her golden eyes wide and her chest hammering with each breath. She clung onto Mori from around his neck as he effortlessly climbed towards an open window. Honey stood out a little from the side of the schools building, his arms reached out wide for Safira-chan.

Safira landed directly into his arms, bridal style. "Woaaaahh," he said, teetering back and forth on the ridge. Honey-senpai may have been a karate champion but Safira was still much taller and heavier than him. It took him a few seconds to find his balance, safely placing her on his shoulder like a parrot. Safira blinked.

"You're safe now, Fira-chan," Honey said as sweet as sugar. "Let's climb back up, yeah, yeah?"

Safira still felt breathless from the fall and couldn't find her voice. So instead she just gave him a smile and a little nod. Honey giggled and then climbed after Mori-senpai. Safira could hear Haruhi cheering from the roof, letting out a giant 'whoop' of appreciation. She couldn't hear anything from Kyouya yet though and for some reason, that made her feel the tiniest bit sad. She didn't know why though – she should feel happy that she was alive.

Mori and Alichina made it safely to the window. Honey followed his cousin's exact steps, now pulling himself up onto the gutter rail. But then something happened. The rail began to crack from underneath them. Honey froze. Both of their hearts seemed to have stopped beating inside their chests. Safira's fingernails pinched Honey's shoulders, her breathing quick and shallow.

Safira closed her eyes. Honey took in a sharp intake of breath.

And then it happened.

The rail snapped in half. Honey-senpai let out a loud yell and Safira clung onto his poofy blonde head. Mori was shouting something that sounded like _Mitzukini_ and Haruhi's words were drowned out by the wind. Safira and Honey clung onto each other, air whipping around their faces and shoulders. The Lil Shota tucked her head under his chin and pulled her close.

And then the world went black.

When Safira woke up she was lying on a giant plush mattress. Actually, _several_ plush mattresses. The sun shone down upon her, puffy white clouds drifting along airways in the sky. Safira blinked.

Was she… dead?

"Hey, are you okay Fira-chan?"

Safira turned, surprised to see Honey-senpai sitting up on the mattress. Feathers flurried around both of them, a soft snowfall. When she tried to push herself up her hand sunk into the mattress. It was so soft that it was almost impossible to not fall back into it. Safira squealed and fell back.

"You seem perfectly fine to me!"

Suddenly Honey-senpai was bouncing up and down and creating giant oceanic waves that caused Safira wobble back and forth. Her nose tickled and she realized that she was practically inhaling a mouthful of feathers. Her eyes watered for a second before she sneezed loudly.

"Bless you!"

"Honey-senpai," she began slowly. "Where did these mattresses come –"

"I knew that there was a possibly of something going wrong. With it being, well, _you_ and all."

Safira whipped her head around. Kyouya stood behind her, completely composed. His gaze was fixed on the mattresses. He gave it a soft little kick as if to test its durability. When he looked up again, his expression was smug.

"My father is adding another part of the hospital. We are adding king and queen sized beds for our guests. We want to make sure that they get a perfect night's sleep while they stay with us. Of course, it was no trouble to ask the staff to bring all of them over." He glanced at them, frowning. "Of course, you fell from quite a height. Even the best of our mattresses couldn't seem to handle that amount of momentum…"

"Huh?"

It wasn't until then did Safira realize that she and Honey were sinking. Feathers and fluff were spewing out from the sides. She let out a soft little yelp, scrambling away on her hands and knees. Safira fell with a soft 'thump'. Apparently, the mattresses had been stacked a little bit above the ground. She glanced up at Kyouya's face, her heart squeezing in her chest.

Despite his self-satisfied expression, his eyes were dark and unhappy. He only looked at her for a moment before turning away. Safira's eyebrows furrowed. He reached his hand out to her but there was tension in the gesture. He helped her up and Safira casted her eyes to the ground.

"Are you – okay?"

Kyouya looked like he was looking for something in his phone. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? You're safe now, right? There's no need for me to worry." He glanced at her carefully. "Why? You're not in any pain are you?"

A silence fell. Safira stared at him.

"No. I'm fine." But it was a lie. Physically she didn't even have a scratch. However, heart felt like it was being torn apart by shards of glass. She shook her head, hugging herself. Didn't he care that she could have died? Most people would have cared – a _friend_ would care. Kyouya was always so closed off. So cold. Would it have hurt him to tell her that he was at least a little worried?

What was she to think these absurdities? What if he hadn't been worried at all?

"SAFIRA-CHAAAAAAAN!"

Before she even had time to blink, Tamaki came barreling at her at full speed. She let out a small scream as he pulled her into a monstrous hug, twirling them around in a furious circle.

"You poor child! You almost fell straight to the dephs of your doom! Why, if it weren't for Kyouya's brilliant plan my beautiful neice would have been squashed like a pancake!"

"Pancakes?" Honey chirped. "Where?"

"Tamaki, would you let her go please?" Kyouya sighed. "You're making her dizzy."

It was true. The whole world was spinning and Safira could barely see straight. She could barely stand up after Tamaki stopped spinning, her body swaying dangerously. Were those blurry blobs the others? They were moving pretty fast so they must have been running. She wasn't really sure…

But what she was sure of was that Kyouya didn't care.

And that hurt her more than anything.

~:*:~

a/n: Anyone else think that Shion should team up with The Dragon so Kyouya can come to terms with his feelings? I think that they would make a pretty good team, if I don't say so myself. Haha. Anyway. Next chapter shall include the long awaited camping trip. :D Yaaaay~!

And I just want to say that I'm sorry if I haven't replied to your reviews. I've been gone for so long but I will definitely get back to you guys as soon as I can. You're comments mean so much to me. Seriously. Thank you so much. I dance like a moron all the time and its thanks to you people. Also, this story wouldn't even still exist if it wasn't for you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.


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